Oral LP - first upcoming periodontist cleaning

I don't have a fear of the dentist at all, however with OLP, I find the placement of their hands more painful than anything they're doing to my teeth. I frequently have to ask them to stop pushing my lower lip against my teeth as the underside of my lip is sore and they can tend to lean on your lip. Stretching the corner of your mouth with a finger is a huge no-no for me. Unnecessary pain.

In advance I will tell them, if I raised my hand you need to stop immediately!

Talk to them about their experience doing these kinds of cleanings with people with OLP and what special kind of treatment they can do to help it be LESS painful.

Here's what I know as a fixed income person with OLP, when a dentist refers me to an oral surgeon to have a biopsy etc. done, just know if you go to an ENT instead, your insurance will pay for it. Dentists usually refer to dentists.

I had a very deep cleaning done years ago and I don't feel that it actually did anything, so ask how they expect this to help. After the deep cleaning, there was another even more expensive procedure they wanted to do.

If you've never seen an ENT perhaps you want to do that first as it won't be thousands out of your pocket. And they will certainly be able to tell you the best treatment, and how to spend your money wisely. (I say this as a person who has been shamed by dentists way too often.) OLP is not our fault.

A dentist once recommended that I do something that was incredibly expensive. I told him financially that was not doable. He said "Oh, you don't care about your teeth?"

My response was "I just wrote y'all a check for $400 which was 50% of my net worth. When was the last time you wrote somebody a check for 50% of YOUR net worth?"

Sometimes, IMHO, especially dentists, need a dose of financial reality. Dentists are expensive and some can forget we come from all ranges of income.

I know that's a little off topic but I'm just saying for people reading this with OLP. It can be really shaming to have OLP and be made to feel like its our fault.

My experience is to make sure you have enough money to get the best dentures possible as you will probably end up there - full or partial. If money is tight, don't spend all your money avoiding dentures when everybody feels that's where it's going to end up anyway. You won't wear just mediocre dentures. Get the best you can.

I just want to add and I probably said this elsewhere, if you have anxiety about going to the dentist, PTSD, or any kind of GAD, ask to have the X-ray gown put on you and leave it there as the heaviness helps create a feeling of safety, like a weighted blanket. I think it also helps you feel more grounded when in pain.

When I get my teeth cleaned it hurts most when they stretch the corner of my mouth so be sure and tell them that that is particularly painful. There is a way of getting your teeth cleaned that doesn't hurt as much if the person knows OLP. I was shocked to get my teeth cleaned and have it be hardly painful at all. She knew not to stretch the corner of my mouth out as far as she could in order to get to my back teeth. Don't just let them hurt you. "If I raise my hand you need to stop immediately." We don't need to give up control to go to a dentist. We are still in charge of our bodies and allowed to tell them to stop. We aren't being "babies."

OLP is very painful. They can spray numbing spray in your mouth. Best of luck.

This was probably more than you needed to read but for me the way they handle my gums, tongue, and lips are more painful than what they do to my teeth.

Best advice I have? It's okay to just tell them to stop for a minute! When there are tears rolling down my cheeks, its time for them to stop and let me catch my breath and regroup for a moment.

@bebold @fdixon63 my experience after the deep clean at the periodontist’s was a huge flare up of the already minor flare of OLP I had before my cleaning! I think that is when my periodontist sent me to the oral pathologist at a hospital who finally prescribed the Lyderm gel after prednisolone did nothing g for it.

I don't have a fear of the dentist at all, however with OLP, I find the placement of their hands more painful than anything they're doing to my teeth. I frequently have to ask them to stop pushing my lower lip against my teeth as the underside of my lip is sore and they can tend to lean on your lip. Stretching the corner of your mouth with a finger is a huge no-no for me. Unnecessary pain.

In advance I will tell them, if I raised my hand you need to stop immediately!

Talk to them about their experience doing these kinds of cleanings with people with OLP and what special kind of treatment they can do to help it be LESS painful.

Here's what I know as a fixed income person with OLP, when a dentist refers me to an oral surgeon to have a biopsy etc. done, just know if you go to an ENT instead, your insurance will pay for it. Dentists usually refer to dentists.

I had a very deep cleaning done years ago and I don't feel that it actually did anything, so ask how they expect this to help. After the deep cleaning, there was another even more expensive procedure they wanted to do.

If you've never seen an ENT perhaps you want to do that first as it won't be thousands out of your pocket. And they will certainly be able to tell you the best treatment, and how to spend your money wisely. (I say this as a person who has been shamed by dentists way too often.) OLP is not our fault.

A dentist once recommended that I do something that was incredibly expensive. I told him financially that was not doable. He said "Oh, you don't care about your teeth?"

My response was "I just wrote y'all a check for $400 which was 50% of my net worth. When was the last time you wrote somebody a check for 50% of YOUR net worth?"

Sometimes, IMHO, especially dentists, need a dose of financial reality. Dentists are expensive and some can forget we come from all ranges of income.

I know that's a little off topic but I'm just saying for people reading this with OLP. It can be really shaming to have OLP and be made to feel like its our fault.

My experience is to make sure you have enough money to get the best dentures possible as you will probably end up there - full or partial. If money is tight, don't spend all your money avoiding dentures when everybody feels that's where it's going to end up anyway. You won't wear just mediocre dentures. Get the best you can.

I just want to add and I probably said this elsewhere, if you have anxiety about going to the dentist, PTSD, or any kind of GAD, ask to have the X-ray gown put on you and leave it there as the heaviness helps create a feeling of safety, like a weighted blanket. I think it also helps you feel more grounded when in pain.

When I get my teeth cleaned it hurts most when they stretch the corner of my mouth so be sure and tell them that that is particularly painful. There is a way of getting your teeth cleaned that doesn't hurt as much if the person knows OLP. I was shocked to get my teeth cleaned and have it be hardly painful at all. She knew not to stretch the corner of my mouth out as far as she could in order to get to my back teeth. Don't just let them hurt you. "If I raise my hand you need to stop immediately." We don't need to give up control to go to a dentist. We are still in charge of our bodies and allowed to tell them to stop. We aren't being "babies."

OLP is very painful. They can spray numbing spray in your mouth. Best of luck.

This was probably more than you needed to read but for me the way they handle my gums, tongue, and lips are more painful than what they do to my teeth.

Best advice I have? It's okay to just tell them to stop for a minute! When there are tears rolling down my cheeks, its time for them to stop and let me catch my breath and regroup for a moment.

bebold - Wow!!! Thanks for sharing your experiences. I would give you an award if possible. This is why we post things/questions. The Mayo community has folks out there that can help. I did not know ENT docs would see folks with gum issues? I never tried to get an appt with one either. Also, you said the dentist or periodontist could spray numbing spray in your mouth. I've never done that but I have asked them to swab the numbing gel along the gum line. Maybe the same??? Wondering if the spray would choke you. I have a strong feeling about my appt. I'll give it a try but don't give much hope of going back. I'd rather go to my regular dentist every 3-4 months for cleanings.
Thanks again. Faye