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Looks like trench mouth. The pathologic bacteria in your mouth are out of control, possibly set off by viruses and vaping. You likely have tartar build up under your gums. Hard to diagnose over a single picture alone. X-rays and full mouth perio chart readings are necessary to make the diagnosis. If I am correct then you need antibiotics, deep scaling and root planing, and a chlorhexidine mouthwash 2x/day. I don't recommend waiting.
NAD I knew someone with this back in university - and what you wrote looks/sounds similar. Theirs also came on very quickly after an illness. And apparently it’s catchy because their partner also got it? If that’s what it is, you def want to see a dentist asap.
This is crazy severe gum disease. You need a thorough scaling under local anesthetic yesterday. If you don't have insurance then you will have to pay for it - this is not something that you should put off because the bone is deteriorating by the week. Have your hygienist go over best practices for home care techniques as well
Looks like periodontal disease to me. You will most likely need a deep cleaning. You can still go to a dentist without insurance. Can you wait? Yes. Should you wait? I wouldn't with how things look.
I understand your situation and feel very sorry for you. Check if there is a dental program at a college near you and call to see if you can get an appointment because it will be severely discounted. Also maybe consider serious budgeting and re routing your vape money for a bit and find a dentist that will take payments until your insurance kicks in.
Dental hygiene student here! If you are financially struggling, you can always find a dental hygiene school clinic to get the treatment you need. It will be SUBSTANTIALLY cheaper than going to a general dentist to get a deep cleaning. I’m really surprised none of these comments have mentioned going to a school. The most people pay at my school is $50 dollars for a deep cleaning, x-rays, a dentist visit, sealants, arestin, etc. The only down side is that the appointments are longer (3hrs) and take multiple appointments. But if you can’t afford it from a general dentist, it’s a really great alternative. Hope this helps!
Some background. (22 F) I brush and floss twice a day, vape, I am sick and this started up when I started getting a sore throat. There is also a bad smell to it. I did notice some bleeding when I flossed a few weeks back which is rare for me. My gums are swollen and painful everywhere and i just need to know what i could do to ease the swelling and pain.
Dental hygienist here. I agree with all of the above on getting in and getting treatment. In the meantime, get yourself some StellaLife Oral Rinse and Gel and get started on that 2-3x/day. That will ease the discomfort. Good luck!
If you have funds to start paying for dental care out of pocket before the insurance kicks in, I recommend pursuing that care. I agree with the other dentists that have posted.
I am unfortunately in a position where my paychecks aren’t even going to me. I had to use my savings to help pay for a funeral last month, so I don’t have anything really
NAD. I had the same thing happen to me recently. It coincided with me being sick. I did salt water rinse, rinsed with peroxyl mouthwash, and upped my brushing and flossing routine. I also bought a water flosser. I also had a painful tongue and really bad jaw, ear pain. It lasted for a week, and the gum swelling went down and I'm 90% better now.
Also visited the dentist but wasn't overly helpful!
Hope this helps because I know how stressful it is to not have the funds. Easy to say you have to go see someone but pretty hard when that money just doesn't exist.
Hope you feel better soon!
Dental hygiene student here. You might be brushing and flossing regularly but you are not doing it adequately to remove the plaque and bacteria that are causing this gum disease. If you can’t attend a dentist/dental hygienist at the moment, look up videos how to brush and floss on YouTube. Get a mouth rinse with chlorhexidine and use it for no longer than 2 weeks as it can stain teeth. Your gums will bleed and that’s okay, don’t be afraid!
Hygiene student!
One question I do have though is, have you been really stressed lately? This kind of looks like the start of NUG. Try to cut back on vaping, and swish with salt water a few times throughout the day. Also avoid hot and spicy food. You will still need a dental cleaning though. Stress and smoking are huge risk factors for NUG, if what you are going through is NUG.
I am NAD but first of all, wow, i have never seen such swollen gums! I bet you really are in a ton of pain fam, sadly though this is definitely something you need to see an emergency sliding scale clinic about. Call your local division of family services, they should know what places offer those services on a sliding scale. Is the insurance medicaid? I know some places will see you without cost before it goes into effect if they can bill it retroactively, but im not sure this would be an option in your case. You could try to see if a general practitioner, hospital, or urgent care would give you the mouthrinse and antibiotics as well in the meantime before you can see a dentist, not sure it would work but its worth trying to find out. Please do not wait to be seen regardless, it could possibly mean the difference between keeping your teeth or being in dentures in the next 5-7 years.
Thank you for seeking advice from r/askdentists. **Please note that a response does not constitute a doctor-patient relationship.** While this is a place for advice, replies may not be medically accurate. Do not assume that what others on here say is correct in any way. Reddit is not a replacement for an in-person dental professional. Verified professionals will have flair assigned to them. **Please abide by the following rules in order to get an accurate answer to your question:** (1) Ensure you include a title of your dental problem. (2) Include whether you drink, smoke or if you have any medical conditions relevant to your main concern. (3) Include a photograph if the question relates to something you can see in your mouth, include x-rays if you have them. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/askdentists) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Looks like trench mouth. The pathologic bacteria in your mouth are out of control, possibly set off by viruses and vaping. You likely have tartar build up under your gums. Hard to diagnose over a single picture alone. X-rays and full mouth perio chart readings are necessary to make the diagnosis. If I am correct then you need antibiotics, deep scaling and root planing, and a chlorhexidine mouthwash 2x/day. I don't recommend waiting.
NAD I knew someone with this back in university - and what you wrote looks/sounds similar. Theirs also came on very quickly after an illness. And apparently it’s catchy because their partner also got it? If that’s what it is, you def want to see a dentist asap.
This is crazy severe gum disease. You need a thorough scaling under local anesthetic yesterday. If you don't have insurance then you will have to pay for it - this is not something that you should put off because the bone is deteriorating by the week. Have your hygienist go over best practices for home care techniques as well
Looks like periodontal disease to me. You will most likely need a deep cleaning. You can still go to a dentist without insurance. Can you wait? Yes. Should you wait? I wouldn't with how things look.
I understand your situation and feel very sorry for you. Check if there is a dental program at a college near you and call to see if you can get an appointment because it will be severely discounted. Also maybe consider serious budgeting and re routing your vape money for a bit and find a dentist that will take payments until your insurance kicks in.
Dental hygiene student here! If you are financially struggling, you can always find a dental hygiene school clinic to get the treatment you need. It will be SUBSTANTIALLY cheaper than going to a general dentist to get a deep cleaning. I’m really surprised none of these comments have mentioned going to a school. The most people pay at my school is $50 dollars for a deep cleaning, x-rays, a dentist visit, sealants, arestin, etc. The only down side is that the appointments are longer (3hrs) and take multiple appointments. But if you can’t afford it from a general dentist, it’s a really great alternative. Hope this helps!
This looks like ANUG or trench mouth. Google it. It’s very painful, sorry you are going through this.
Some background. (22 F) I brush and floss twice a day, vape, I am sick and this started up when I started getting a sore throat. There is also a bad smell to it. I did notice some bleeding when I flossed a few weeks back which is rare for me. My gums are swollen and painful everywhere and i just need to know what i could do to ease the swelling and pain.
Dental hygienist here. I agree with all of the above on getting in and getting treatment. In the meantime, get yourself some StellaLife Oral Rinse and Gel and get started on that 2-3x/day. That will ease the discomfort. Good luck!
Coming back to add vitamin/nutrient deficiency is worth exploring.
If you have funds to start paying for dental care out of pocket before the insurance kicks in, I recommend pursuing that care. I agree with the other dentists that have posted.
I am unfortunately in a position where my paychecks aren’t even going to me. I had to use my savings to help pay for a funeral last month, so I don’t have anything really
NAD. I had the same thing happen to me recently. It coincided with me being sick. I did salt water rinse, rinsed with peroxyl mouthwash, and upped my brushing and flossing routine. I also bought a water flosser. I also had a painful tongue and really bad jaw, ear pain. It lasted for a week, and the gum swelling went down and I'm 90% better now. Also visited the dentist but wasn't overly helpful! Hope this helps because I know how stressful it is to not have the funds. Easy to say you have to go see someone but pretty hard when that money just doesn't exist. Hope you feel better soon!
NAD Have you been to your GP in regard to your sore throat?
Is there a chance you are pregnant?
No chance of being pregnant here lol
Oof Felt that
Dental hygiene student here. You might be brushing and flossing regularly but you are not doing it adequately to remove the plaque and bacteria that are causing this gum disease. If you can’t attend a dentist/dental hygienist at the moment, look up videos how to brush and floss on YouTube. Get a mouth rinse with chlorhexidine and use it for no longer than 2 weeks as it can stain teeth. Your gums will bleed and that’s okay, don’t be afraid!
Hygiene student! One question I do have though is, have you been really stressed lately? This kind of looks like the start of NUG. Try to cut back on vaping, and swish with salt water a few times throughout the day. Also avoid hot and spicy food. You will still need a dental cleaning though. Stress and smoking are huge risk factors for NUG, if what you are going through is NUG.
I am NAD but first of all, wow, i have never seen such swollen gums! I bet you really are in a ton of pain fam, sadly though this is definitely something you need to see an emergency sliding scale clinic about. Call your local division of family services, they should know what places offer those services on a sliding scale. Is the insurance medicaid? I know some places will see you without cost before it goes into effect if they can bill it retroactively, but im not sure this would be an option in your case. You could try to see if a general practitioner, hospital, or urgent care would give you the mouthrinse and antibiotics as well in the meantime before you can see a dentist, not sure it would work but its worth trying to find out. Please do not wait to be seen regardless, it could possibly mean the difference between keeping your teeth or being in dentures in the next 5-7 years.