Hi Dr. I have been told by the dentist that I have gum disease.
I am currently unemployed and I have told by my dentist that I have to have treated privately. could I have it done on the nhs?

Why is severe gum disease not treated on the NHS I can’t even afford the initial consultation which is £40 which i think is too expensive

Hi, Been to my dentist today, he has told me i have gum disease. My next appointment to start treatment is nearly two months away. a)i’m not sure i can wait that long b)i’m not sure if i should see a specialist or not What doyou think? Kind Regards

i am suffering with gum disease and my crowns are loose can the crowns be replaced i am a very nervous of the dentist but would like to have 6 front crowns seen to and all old filling replaced what is the cost of treatment thankyou

Hi i am looking for a dentist that can fix my problem. I havent been to a dentist for about 2 year but my teeth are really bad and i also have gum disease i wear nearly a full top set of dentures which dont fit me properly even when i put fixodent on them they still dont fit and i feel my gum has shrunk. i am very frightened of dentists and felt like last one werent very supportive that wy so never went back. Thankyou

Hi I’ve always been really nervous of going to see a dentist after years ofwork when I was younger. As a result I stopped going and then went back toan NHS dentist years later only to discover I had some gum disease. My nhsdentist is so hard to see I am getting worried about the state of my teethand what can be done with them. What are the costs involved if I come in for a consultation? i live locally to the Chelmsford practise. Thanks

Hi i suffer from gum disease and therefore am conscious when smiling as gaps can be seen between my teeth and my two front teeth look very long. I amlooking for a way to correct this but don’t know how or what can be done.I would appreciate your advice and consultation.

Hi, I am interested in the Perioprotect treatment. I have already had 2 molars removed due to gum disease and one is on its last legs! I am a smoker who is now trying to quit. I live in Portsmouth but if this treatment coulddecrease the size of the pockets I currently have I would be extremely interested. Really do not want to lose any more teeth! Thanks

i have lost a tooth in the front bottom jaw due to gum disease, my dentistsays i will have to loose two more next to it and have a clipped denture, iknow i cant wear one of these as i have no back lower teeth and had one made before and the clip irritates my sensitive teeth. What would i need andhow much would it cost?

I have over the past day developed inflamation in my gum around a tooth where I have previously had root canal. It feel like a soft lump, and I am worried that it may be an abscess or something worse. I would like to get this checked out as soon as possible. Is this something you would be able to help with.

I am a 64 year old woman who badly needs her nine remainimg teeth extractedand new dentures fitted under NHS your treatment. I have a fear of dentists and would like to have sedation. Could you please send me a quote at yourearliest convenience.

I have been advised that I will need the service of a Periodontist to treat my gum disease. I am just worried that this may be out of my reach financially. Could you please advice me on the average cost of using a Periodontist and if there are ways of going through the NHS as I am registered with an NHS dentist. Please also let me know how to find a local Periodontist in my area. Any useful information on this matter will be really useful. Looking forward to your response.

You may need to be referred to a teaching hospital for treatment by a Periodontist on the NHS.

Dear Doctor, Please could you please advise me,I live in Northern Ireland,and i find it impossible to get a dentist on the NHS,as i dont pay for the work,makes it more difficul.My problem is that i have big teeth,the front in particular,i have crowns,and i also were a part denture,at the top,i also have a part denture at the bottom.But as my teeth are in bad shape athe bottom,and missing,he refuses to put in a crown,so im left with a big gap,and a single molar on its own.now this has become infected,and i have to have it taken out.I love teeth,and all my problems regarding my teeth,was caused by a rather bad knock in the face by a pony,years ago,and ever since,im fighting to keep my smile,as i havent smiled properly in years,due to missing teeth,and a badly fitted denture.Its not that i havent been looking after them,i have.But since all the dentists in my area have gone private, i cant find one,and when i do,the waiting list is long,and even when you are registerd which i am,it can take months.I cant even get my two children in,but thankfully i really look after the childrens teeth,no sweets,crisps, or fizzy drinks.I really need help as I just want to smile a little more,withput fearing my crown will pop out,or my breath is bad,which my children say I do have bad breath.I really need urgent help.

Hi Why don’t you try changing dentist nad contact your local NHS authority for advice about who is local to you Good luck with your search

hello doctor, I have recently suffered from gum disease, but have undergone all the procedures to cure it such as peridontal cleaning and tooth extraction etc. My dentist has given me a clear bill of health and it has been over a month so do you think I will be eligible for a dental implant? It is for a tooth at the side which i had removed. thank you for your time and any help you can give

Yes it should be possible for you to start this treatment now

i have servere gum disease i will require a full implant replacement and i am being told to wait until my gums are treated and deal as and when it happens is this right i would like to have this done now rather than waiting for my teeth to fall out

Sounds like an option worth looking into,

I suffer from gum dease I would like further information about dental implants thank you.

Dental implants are a good option to consider if your long term health of the gums is showing no sign of improvement or is progressive. The fisrt step is to see an implant dentist for a consultation to assess the gums and surrounding bone. It might be that the gums can be treated with specialist gum treatments and that implants might not be necessary, however if there is signs of progressive bone loss its best to act early before all the bone is lost

i have deep pockets in my gums from gum disease and my dentist wont refer me to periodontist he keep sending me to dental hygienist for basic cleaning it what should i do please help

If you are concerned about your health and unsure you are receiving the best advise, consult with a periodontist on your own for a second opinion.

does periodontal disease go away after all your teeth are pulled,or does it continue eating away at the bone and gum even without teeth?

Periodontal disease is a bacteria infection involving the teeth, gum and bone interface. Once the teeth are removed periodontal disease no longer exists.

One of my front upper crowns has become mobile there is a gap between the edge of my crown and the gum on the inner side. My dentist says he cannot make me a new crown or an implant because he says there is bone loss and it would be too risky. He has not done an X ray I am to be fitted with a denture to replace this crown I am 75 years old at each side of the tooth I have crowns and a veneer. I am very worried about this as I suffer from oral Lichen Planus what do you think can bone loss be diagnosed without an Xray Thank you

It can be diagnosed with careful probing although I would personally do an x-ray or scan especially if you’re thinking of an implant to replace the tooth. It might be worth a second opinion rather than accept a denture as the only alternative

hi my mother has had dentures put in a few months back – she is finding them very difficult to manage and unable to eat and carry on with day to day activities. she finds that that they dont fit well, keep popping up and down and she no longer wants to wear them. she wants another solution but is worried that the implant solution would not be possible as she has had decayed gums where the dentures are – lower 4 teeth and there is not gum or bone that exists in that part of the mouth. she would like to know whether it is still possible to have implants – even if there is no gum to support the implants- please could you help thank you

I had four implants in the upper jaw supporting eight teeth and three bone grafts. My front two teeth are on a bridge arrangement but there seems to be a small gap between the teeth(crowns) and the gum which small bits of food and drink get through and the gum is very sore, also I have had nasal and sinus problems since the work was completed two months ago, but the main problem is the sore gum. What is the answer please.

Don’t really know, you need to go back to your dentist to see what they think as they will know whats underneath the gum.

I dont have anybottom teeth i got false teeth from my dentist and cant ware them i cant eat or speak with them i am so depressed i dont eat out or go out i cant afford to pay for implants as i am on incapsity i am 59 years old i lost all my teeth with all the diffrent medicatations i have been on all my life do u think i would get help from the nhs if i spoke to my dentist about my problem as i dont know who to talk to about this problem as i dont get any help with anything.

Its very difficult to get help with implants on the NHs but you could ask your dentist to refer you to a teaching hospital, they might be able to help.

what is the best approach to going about getting implants if you have had gum disease in the past? my current dentist isn’t keen on the idea, but i really hate the dentures i have to wear, which just rub my gums terribly. Is there anyway that i can have implants to give me my smile back? thank you for any advice you can give upon the matter, it is greatly appreciated

Hi I am unsure if you still have gum disease associated with your teeth. If so, this has to be treated firstly. If you have no teeth then this is not a concern but good oral hygiene is very important when having implants as well as regularly seeing a good hygienist.

I am a little bit concerned about my gums, as recently if feels like they are coming free of my teeth. This occurs on the front teeth, on the bottom set with about two teeth. The i can get my tongue between my tooth and the gum and i just worry that i may have gum disease. My gums don’t bleed or anything it is just this unusual problem that is bothering me. hope you can help

I would suggest that you need to have this check professionally as it is impossible to advise on something like this without seeing it.

i am very depressed as my gums are receeding,what to do with this please reply me as sonn as possible,i dont want to go to a dentist.

How can you possibly expect to correct a problem with your teeth/gums without going to the dentist!!!???IF you were having pain in your chest continually, would you not go to the doctor to find out what was causing it? Your teeth are no less important and treatment of them cannot take place on line!!! Go to the dentist or lose your teeth….what would you rather have?

I had an implant at the end of 2008, the tooth next to my big front tooth, and am now having to have antibiotic injections up it to try to eradicate an infection that has been found around the implant. Is this normal after 3 years? The xray showed that there was a hollow around the lower part of the implant and pus was coming out when the gum was squeezed by the dentist. I am very disappointed as I thought it had taken well.

It can sometimes happen if a bone defect has appeared, carry on with the treatment for now but ultimately you may need the implant replaced in the future if the infection doesn’t resolve.

I am currently on Employment and Support Allowance and do not pay for dental treatment. I have 5 crowns, three on the top and two opn the bottom and 1 veneer that i have had for almost twenty years. My gums have receeded and they look awful but my dentist said they cannot be replaced on the NHS because i am not in any pain. Is this correct?? I also have several bad teeth but he will not treat them because i have not got toothache. I am so embarrassed that i very rarely smile. Surely after working and paying tax and national insurance for 35 years I am entitled to a little bit of dignity..

Unfortunately replacing crowns on teh NHS for cosmetic reasons is harder than it used to be, perhaps you could go to another dentist for a second opinion?

I have recently had four bottom front teeth extracted and had a false teeth plate fitted until they healed to have a bridge done. I was admitted into hospital for 4 days with serious infections, the infection was caused by the pressure of the false teeth pressing down on my gums. my cheek bones are badly swollen I am on antibiotics and cannot put the plate back in, I have to let the gums heal. I have been very ill with this,please can you advise is the dentist at fault

Probably not as the gums where possibly infected already. If it was just the plate taking it out would have stopped it straightaway and I’m sure that was the first thing you did?

I got gum disease,do go to my dentist regularly ,she cleans them And always asks me to floss them and use cordosyle,but after all this my teeth are getting bad,they moved their place, got gap between them and now one of them is moving,I’m worried it might fall out,,I’m 33 years old,what kind of treatment I should be getting?what solution I got?it will really help if you can guide me towards right treatment please! Many thanks

I would ask your dentist to refer you to a specialist . There may not be an NHS specialist in your area and as such you may need to pay privately but saving teeth is always cheaper than replacing teeth. Good luck with it all

Hi I have gum desease and 1 front tooth is loose, the dentist has done a deep clean and wants tod o another in a couple of months, he says the prognosis for the tooth is not good and recommends a false tooth which clips in place in the gum. Would he not be able to do a bridge or an inplant instaed?

ok if you have come diseses you have to clean , floss , mouth wash see a hygenist every 3mnth . i done all that and it failed i am now sitting here as of today with full set of dentures i was told this is heritory alsoi as my brothers and father both have same problem not has bad as mine tho , i have been giving the worst set of dentures anyone could have yea thanks nhs , hate them but better than having nothing in i am a woman in her 30s so you can imagine the devastation i have went through . hope you all do not go through what i have .

I am a nhs dential patient who suffers really bad gum disease to keep my gums healthy I have to see a hyginest the nhs don’t provide a hyginest an its getting to the point were my teeth are falling out what can I do please help

Hi ive had alk my teeth removed , I have gum decease, my dentist told me I have to wait about 4 months for my dentures, why do I have to wait this long, very depressed.

I have four crowns in the top front I had them for about 20 years my dentist tell me I have infection in 3 of them and wants to take them out and give me false teeth but I am only 42 I would hope there would be other options bridge isn’t, as I haven,t enough teeth on one side to hold them please help I am having sleepless night re this