Any dentists here? Is this plaque / calculus?

[MrRatchet]

I had a bonded retainer fitted to my upper teeth about 6 months ago after having my brace removed, but recently I’ve been suffering from a bad taste in my mouth and I've woken up a few times with my gums bleeding from behind my two front teeth.

I took this picture yesterday and I expected to find some gingivitis but instead it looks like a st load of plaque / calculus.

I’ve got an appointment booked with my dentist in the upcoming week but I just needed to know if it’s severe or not. I guess I’ll just have to be more careful in future.

Edited by HuntD on Sunday 4th March 17:14

[Driller]

The white blobs are composite cement sticking the retaining wire in.

The yellower stuff around this is staining/tarter.

[MrRatchet]

Is staining and tatar not two different things? I.e. tarter = nasty stuff?

[Driller]

Yes, I just couldn't be bothered to write "and"

[MrRatchet]

Ok thanks for confirming it.

Is there any chance that it has caused me any long term damage? I suspect its only now starting to get below the gumline hence the bleeding.

[MrRatchet]

This is causing me some awful bleeding now, the dentist cant come soon enough

[Driller]

Corsodyl!

[Rach*]

Driller said:

Corsodyl!

No! Please! Physical disruption of the biofilm only!


Keep brushing, getting between the teeth with your tepes/interdental brushes/super floss

See your lovely friendly hygienist

[limjamrace]

Never mind..When you approach sixty ..Your teeth will start to come loose and one by one fallout..

[Driller]

Rach* said:

No! Please! Physical disruption of the biofilm only!


Keep brushing, getting between the teeth with your tepes/interdental brushes/super floss

See your lovely friendly hygienist

I refer the honerable lady to Mr Loe and Mr Schiott and their experimantal gingivitis experiment in 1972.

And where have you been since Wednesday when this poor bloke needed a hygienist eh, eh?

[Rach*]

I've been chained to my cavitron *sob*


I'm on the Smart, Ower, Keiser et al bandwagon and CHX stain takes me ages to remove, horrible stuff

[MacGee]

Our perio boffin says big NO to corsodyl but bigger YES to tepees!
Rach is with the programme!

[Rach*]

Pleased noone suggested antibiotics

[Fort Jefferson]

I don't know anything about your teeth, but thats a cracking photo.

[MacGee]

I agree..

[snuffy]

Fort Jefferson said:

I don't know anything about your teeth, but thats a cracking photo.

That reminds of Red Dwarf, when Kryten takes a photo of his knob and shows it to Lister and asks "Is this normal ?", to which Lister replies "Yes, but taking a picture of it and showing it to your mates is not !"

[Driller]

Corsodyl might not be the best solution technically but as far as patient compliance goes, ten times more chance of someone using that than interdental brushes, especially for a non-attender.

[MrRatchet]

Fort Jefferson said:

I don't know anything about your teeth, but thats a cracking photo.

It is? Well I took it myself

[Kudos]

Now, this worries me. Two different, well trained professionals disagreeing on what should be a simple treatment!

[Fort Jefferson]

MrRatchet said:

Fort Jefferson said:

I don't know anything about your teeth, but thats a cracking photo.

It is? Well I took it myself

Have you got a small camera, or a big mouth?