[SoLo Dina]

Well, I finally broke down and make a dental appointment. It's been a while since I've been and I know I'm going to need a lot of dental work done. Oh well, it's my own fault for not going before now. I just haven't had the nerve or heart to go after my last visit to a dental office. The staff was not very friendly!Anyway, so I'm finally trying a new dentist. Should I warn the staff before I go? It's not like they're not going to notice my smelly problem as soon as I get there. I feel bad for them, but that will change if they treat me badly. Anyone ever think about getting dentures and just being done with it? What we LGers have to go through!! What I would give just to be able to go to routine appointments without being humiliated!!Take care!!

 

[20322]

I too was holding off going to the dentist because of LG.I finally went a couple of months ago. The first thing I did was make sure I ate a bland dinner the night before. No beef or anything spicy. Then I made the appointment for first thing in the morning. Just seemed like a good idea to get it over with before I started putting food or coffee into my body.I am not sure whether there was any odour or not. I thought I could always smell it myself but I have come to find out there are times when I don't smell myself.Anyway, I looked at it this way. These are professionals in the health care field. I figured they would have a certain level of professionalism if an odour were to happen.So I just crossed my fingers and got through it.The best advice is to just try and lead as normal a life as you can. Its not your fault, just keep remembering that.Good luck

 

[Arnie W]

I hate going to the dentist too, but console myself with the fact that it is common practice nowadays for dentists to wear masks, and hopefully any bad smells are blocked out.Hairdressers are another story. I wait until my hair is a real mess before making an appointment.

 

[I'll B Snookered]

Every health professional has been subjected to much worse nastiness than a little LV. You don't have meth mouth, do you? Plus, think about how much you are paying them. It's a good chunk of change, I bet.Also, I am lucky in that my LV is fairly minor if I feel completely evacuated, so I try to make appointments in the late morning or early afternoon so that I have time to evacuate the bowels. You need to go to the dentist. Poor oral health has been shown to significantly correlate with cardiovascular disease, and dental issues are no laughing matter. Dentures look like no picnic from what I've seen.I procrastinated, myself, due to LV, and I had a little bit of gum recession and bone loss. Luckily we caught it early enough and I avoided having to see a periodontist for gum grafting. Just think that if you see a dentist every 6 months, the total time you will be exposed to dental professionals will likely be less than if you procrastinate.As an aside, I got me one of those Sonicare toothbrushes and started using it right after my last dental appointment 3 months ago. My teeth feel as clean as the day I left the dentist. I highly recommend it.

 

[SoLo Dina]

Thanks for responding guys. Snookered, I don't know if I have meth mouth or not. I haven't noticed it if I do. But I'm one of the lucky (not!!) LGers who seem to smell pretty much all of the time. So it really doesn't matter whether the odor is coming from my mouth or somewhere else. It's always there and it's always bad. I know dental health is important and that's why I'm finally breaking down and going. Even though I know it's going to be torture! Hopefully, these people will act like professionals and it won't go as badly as my last appointment.Anyway, thanks for responding. I'm glad you guys made it through your appts. without any major problems. Take care!!

 

[16669]

Wow! Am I ever glad I found this group! I've never joined a group like this before and it's good to know that i'm not alone in this fight against the SMELL! I started dealing with this by myself about 10 years ago when a very mean co-worked wrote a mean email to me about my problem. Anyway, to make a long story short I have found a few things that work with regard to the dentist (and others). If you go to a dentist that you know gives you a bad look or does that sniff thing and in turn gives you a bad service be glad that there are other dentists out there. I've moved a few times over the past ten years and each time I had to find a new dentist. Some of them are very impatient and have no regard for me, but some, the best ones are understanding that we are human too and have a heart to understand your problem. I've never had to say something to my current dentist although i know they see my problem however, they look past it with care not with disgust. If it doesn't work out for you (or if it didn't), still consider the service. Was it good service? Were your teeth cared for? If no, and if your felt very uncomfortable, it's ok to try another dentist.

 

[nelly2]

Snookered-How do you make sure you're completely evacuated, I usually have to go at least twice to feel evacuated, but the waiting could go on all day.