Help
I've got really bad gum disease, especially my lower front gums. They're so bad that the roots are exposed quite considerably and two of my teeth are really loose, and a third one is also getting loose.
I have a couple of problems regarding this. One is that dental treatment in the UK is very expensive, even if you can find an NHS dentist (very hard to find) and I am also terrified of dentists.
What I would like to know is until I can afford a decent dentist and pluck up enough courage to see one, how can I help alleviate this problem? Also what would a dentist be likely to do (i.e. what would the treatment be). I have a feeling I'm looking at dentures. I have partial dentures for missing side teeth and could not get on with them. I hated the plastic in my mouth, particularly the top set which didn't fit properly anyway - they used to flap around despite my going back for refittings several times, so they've sat in a box in the bathroom for 3 years. The dentist I had at the time I wasn't impressed with, for some reason said he wouldn't give me dentures made of metal which I would have preferred. He also knew I had gum disease and didn't do anything about it. He blamed the fact that I smoke for it and wouldn't listen when I told him my mother had the same problem and she didn't smoke. He's since left the practice but his attitude has left me even more scared of dentists than I was before.
Any advice anyone can give me would be really appreciated.