I’m wondering if I need to switch clinics to receive more gentle treatment. I have horrible pain during cleanings. My teeth are sensitive and my gums bleed. The last time was the worst ever. She shot some kind of cold water on my teeth. It hurt so much I begged her to stop. She just remarked I could take a pain reliever when she was done. It seemed so insensitive to me. Is there a way to get gentle cleanings?
Mandy L.
Dear Mandy,
Wow! It sounds like your hygienist is a bit insensitive. Believe me, your appointments don’t have to be this way. Let’s talk about what’s going on with your teeth and then we can give you some solutions. First, your teeth aren’t a normal sensitive. The level of pain you’re feeling should have been addressed by your dentist to help you. The bleeding gums could be from one of two things. It’s either caused by your hygienist being too aggressive or you have gum disease. If it’s the latter, again, your dentist should have addressed this with you as it is serious and needs to be treated so you don’t lose your teeth.
You have two choices in how to deal with this type of situation. One is to speak directly to the dentist about the type of treatment your receiving from the hygienist. I doubt he’d find it acceptable. The cold water she used on you was likely ultrasonic scaler. Once you expressed it was causing you pain, she should have stopped and gone to the old-fashioned hand tools which she can control the force of a bit better. To not do that tells me she cares more about finishing than the patient.
Your other option is to switch to an office where they do gentle dental work. They’re not as hard to find as you might think.
Finding a Gentle Dentist
The first thing I’d do is an internet search using some of these terms:
- Sedation Dentist
- Gentle Dentist
- Cater to Cowards Dentist
Dentists who advertise using these terms are more willing to work with patients who have both anxiety and issues like you’re currently facing. But, take an additional step before trying out their office. Look up their reviews. It’s one thing for a dentist to say they’re a gentle office. It’s another thing completely to follow through.
Some temporary solutions for you
The first thing I’d like you to do is try using a toothpaste for sensitive teeth. This may or may not help, depending on the reason for your sensitivity. You could have ultra-thin enamel. Getting additional fluoride treatment could help as well. You could ask your dentist for some. Though, some pharmacists keep some fluoride gel on hand that doesn’t require a prescription. If neither of those help there are some other ways to give you a buffer between your enamel and the nerves, but I always recommend the least invasive and more affordable treatments first.
The bleeding gums issue needs to be addressed rather quickly. My first concern is gum disease. When left untreated it can have devastating results. Your teeth will eventually fall out. Then you’re looking at expensive tooth replacement options, like dental implants, which can only be done after the gum disease is fully treated anyway. So, the dentist needs to get on this quickly IF it’s issue.
I’m sorry you’re going through this. Know there are solutions. You can have pain-free appointments. Going to the dentist needn’t be a nightmare.
This blog is brought to you by Dr. Steven Collins.