Should I go to the dentist?

[Boom]

Because I'm worried that this is serious, I'm not going to lie about my dental care. I brush my teeth twice a day; once in the morning and once before I go to bed. I don't floss, because I'm American.

My last annual visit to the dentist was this past summer before going back to school.

Lately, while brushing my teeth, the right side of my upper jaw (near the back) bleeds. It stops after I rinse my mouth out a few times afterward, but it's still irritating. When I look at it, my gums in that area look like they're raw. They only bleed when I brush my teeth. They don't bother me at all during the day.

I looked up information on gingivitus, and a few things don't add up to me. Other than not flossing, I take pretty good care of my teeth. So I don't see how it could be caused by germ/plaque/tartar build-up. Also, the symptoms of gingivitus include bleeding, inflammation, and discoloration. They only bleed when I brush, and they don't burn and are not discolored.

However, apparently another cause of gingivitus is brushing your teeth TOO hard, which unfortunately I'm infamous for. You should see my toothbrushes when I'm down with them. The bristles are practically flattened.

Anyway, I'm brushing more gently now and I'm rinsing with Listerine twice a day. But should I still schedule a dentist appointment just in case? Better safe than sorry?

 

[Fran]

Well, if it bothers you enough, check it out, dude.

 

[jaguarr]

Personally, I'd go get it checked out. Better safe than sorry for sure.

jag

 

[Holly Goodhead]

Floss you moron. Youre supposed to floss everynight before you go to bed. When you sleep all the gross stuff is most active, that's why you need to floss. Use a mouthwash too. please

 

[Boom]

Floss you moron. Youre supposed to floss everynight before you go to bed. When you sleep all the gross stuff is most active, that's why you need to floss. Use a mouthwash too. please

I'm using mouth wash now.

Flossing's always been a ***** for me. I can never get to my back teeth. I tried to make it a habit and gave up about a week into it.

 

[Holly Goodhead]

I'm using mouth wash now.

Flossing's always been a ***** for me. I can never get to my back teeth. I tried to make it a habit and gave up about a week into it.

Shut up, youre just lazy.

 

[Alpha and Omega]

My dental physician always told me that flossing was more important than brushing. He wasn't saying to quit brushing, but he was indicating the importance of it.

Holly's right. Floss, especially if your teeth are in a natural tight unison.

 

[Boom]

Shut up, youre just lazy.

I'm American .

 

[Holly Goodhead]

I'm American .

So am I, and I find time to floss.

 

[Boom]

So am I, and I find time to floss.

Touche.

*Runs off to floss*

 

[Holly Goodhead]

Move to England.

 

[Mee]

So am I, and I find time to floss.

But you're a woman.

Or so they say.

 

[Boom]

Move to England.

But then I'll talk like Nigel Thornberry.

 

[terry78]

Go because that **** only gets worse. As soon as you feel any kind of tooth pain, it'll come back in stride later on. I just recently got over one that was an infected wisdom tooth that basically radiated all over the left side of my face that felt like it was paralyzed.

 

[Boom]

Well I had all four of my wisdom teeth pulled, so it can't be that.

It's either because I'm brushing my teeth too hard, or I have plaque build-up in between my teeth that's stemming up into my gums.

I just assumed my dentist would've spotted this when I last visited .

 

[Childlike Wild]

You should really go every six months anyway (as opposed to annually), so go get a cleaning and a checkup.

 

[Master Chief]

If it's still bleeding in two weeks with your new lighter brushing technique skills then yeah, you should go back to the dentist guy.

 

[The Riddler]

i don't floss at all.

i just brush twice daily and use listerine mouth wash.

try it out, boom.

 

[Fran]

I brush twice a day, floss twice a day (mostly).

Don't really use Listerine. May give it a shot.

 

[Boom]

It burns like a mother****er. But your mouth feels so squeaky clean afterward.

 

[Master Chief]

Yeah, why the cock does it burn so much? That s**t brought me to tears.

 

[The Riddler]

It burns like a mother****er. But your mouth feels so squeaky clean afterward.

yes, it does.

plus, you take the burn like a man. that goes for MC's post, too.

 

[Holly Goodhead]

Youre only supposed to floss once a day, before you go to bed.

 

[Anita18]

Yes, do floss. I'm a bad person and I don't always brush twice a day, and if I keep that habit up my gums will start bleeding too. My dentist suggested that I take up flossing regularly, and now that I do my gums don't bleed anymore.

So yeah, flossing is kind of a pain but it's well worth the inconvenience. My sister is so afraid of the dentist, she brushes 3x a day and flosses 2x a day, since she really REALLY doesn't want to see one, LOL.

 

[Man-Thing]

I use these thingys everyday.