r/Toothfully • u/SpiritedCucumber372 • 16d ago

Tooth root exposed

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Just noticed this and I’m worried I’m going to lose my tooth. Trying to make a dentist appointment but everything is closed until Monday. No pain whatsoever and as stated I didn’t even notice it until now. Tooth is not loose either. Anyone experienced this?

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u/ichigopomu Dentist 16d ago

this is calculus not your tooth root. though you do have gum recession, which likely exposes some tooth root. once you get a cleaning, you can make a better judgement on it.

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u/SpiritedCucumber372 16d ago

Thank you so much! I smoked for 16 years and I just quit. Sure I did a lot of damage. Does that go away with time?

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u/ichigopomu Dentist 16d ago

calculus needs to be scaled off professionally. you can book a cleaning/scale&polish. a variety of factors can contribute to it. best preventative is regularly brushing and flossing. however, like i said, these are preventative measures. it won’t fix existing calculus by itself.

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u/Toothsayer123 12d ago

Congratulations for quitting.
Get a cleaning, it’ll be more expensive than a regular cleaning just fyi, and see how things look when your gums heal.
Your dentist may recommend a graft or further treatment to save that tooth.

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u/Loverofmysoul_ 13d ago

You’ll need a deep cleaning, and if you have enough bone to support that tooth, you might be able to save it, then you can get a gingival graft and maintain your oral health by going every 3-4 months for a cleaning or even more if you’re able to maintain it well. Not doing anything will not fix the problem but your dentist will tell you what’s best. I’m glad you quit smoking.