Gum Disease

[Kalindi]

I haven't been to the dentist in almost 3 years due to no insurance. Last times I went, I was diagnosed w/ the periodontal disease and had to spend hours getting the scraping done.
I brush,floss and use the interdental tool daily and in spite of I can see my gums are infected again.
I got a potent herbal essential oil toothpaste and anitseptic but it appears to be the same (although it did rid the sharp pain I was having in 2 of my back upper teeth)
Is there anything I can do aside from going in for hours for the dreaded scraping??????
TIA

[gilnikche]

Abcess?

Okay. I am freaking out a bit here.

-Two days ago, I noticed a sore spot & bleeding on the area behind a molar

-Next day, ask hubby to look at it. He tells me it is a white bump

-Today. It is easy to see now & bleeds if I touch it. I can actually feel pressure in the area. Only hurts if I touch it.

From my experience as a nurse; I would guess it is an abcess. But what the heck started it? No stuck food, no trauma.

I have no dental insurance & could use some insight on this:

[gilnikche]

-It is right behind the molar (the last tooth).
-Not off to either side .
-It looks like a pearl shaped cyst (encapsulated)
-Bleeds easily from the gum tissue around it.
-Nothing is coming out of it.
-It is hard to tell if is getting lumpier on its own or because I tried to manipulate it.
-It is tender to the touch & I can not chew food in that area.

Is that descriptive enough?

[rhythmwalk]

smilemomma...canker sores and bumby gums?

I have a history of occassional canker sores in my mouth and I just recently developed a cluster of them in the front of my gums and at the same time have experienced bumbs and apparent mild swelling around my gums and inside of my lips throughout my mouth. What could this be?

[MeMeMama]

I found a toothpaste that has eliminated my recurrent canker sores. It has no SLS, and it has Grapefruit Seed Extract in it. I am not sure why it works, and it was definately a freak accident that I even noticed it. I had been using this new toothpaste for a while and liked it well enough. Then there was a period of a few days or a week or something where I was using a different paste and eating alot of citrus. I immediately got a canker sore. That made me realize that I hadn't had one in a while, so I thought that I better go back to using the other paste. The canker sore disappeared after one day. I never had one for any less time than 3-4 days. I'm hooked!

Your situation could be completely different, but I thought I would share just in case. The toothpaste is from Freelife and it is BGSE (Bioenhanced Grapefruit Seed Extract) Toothpaste. I'm not usually a huge fan of MLM companies, but this toothpaste rocks!

Cindi

[gilnikche]

Bright Red Gums

For five days now my two year old has had bright red, swollen gums. She has had a noticable fever every night. Anyone know what causes this? It literally came on overnight. The poor little thing will barely let me look in her mouth! It is obviously tender but does not bleed. The gums are really sticking out!

This is my third child, so I am not new to teething babes. But I have never dealt with this! I am familiar with localized inflammation when a new tooth is erupting. This is way worse than I have ever seen.

Hyland's teething tabs are giving a little relief, but not much.

[katmandula]

receding gums

Hey All,

I have since I gave birth had crazy dental problems--receding gums, pain, etc. Does anyone have any suggestions for helping to slow this down. I have no insurance and the student clinic won't be able to take me until mid-June, I think my teeth may fall out in the meantime. I brush, floss, listerine but nothing helps. I am desperate and will try anything!

[namama]

thought i'd add my experience. i thought my gums were receding. dds #1 said they were. dds#2 a good dds, said it wasn't receding gums but my brushing.

i brushed so much that i was brushing my gums away. i brushed b/c i was worried about my gums and teeth, just making the problem worse. thining the enamel on my teeth and everything.

this may or may not help you, but i started using a much softer toothbrush and cut out as much sugar as possible. the recession seems to have stopped...

[christina]

When I was pregnant, I developed "pregnancy gingivitis (sp?) which was lovely...a blood bath every time I brushed my teeth.
My dentist insisted that I follow through on 6 month cleanings anyways, even though it hurt and they bled: it worked. I have had four cleanings in past two years...
mucho better.

[BAU3]

Periodontal work, antibiotics and breastfeeding

I have started seeing the dentist again after about a five year absence ( Ii know,I know!). After a few appointments for filling, and a couple of cleanings I went today for the start of the 4 part perio work..(which i badly need) after his initial exam we started talking about what he was going to do and the antibiotics came up.... I thought they were just for preventative measures and I wouldn't need them.. My dds says there is already bacteria and low grade infection there.. if we did the treatment without the antibiotics it wouldn't be effective. He was very understanding about the bfing and we have put of the treatment for, well at least three mos. when I will go back for another cleaning and se if I am still bfing...
In the mean time I am worried about the thought of this bacteria and that I have a low grade infection.. does anyone know of anything I can do to combat this short of antibiotics? I can't see it going away without the scaling, too....
If anyone has had similar experiences or any advise I would GREATLY appreciate it! Thanks!

[boobykinmamma]

Well, had the cleaning--it only took about 30 minutes. My dentist wants to do them every 3 months, at least for a year and especially during pregnancy, and then maybe go to every six months if my gums look good. So I got my answer, and feel good about it.

[BAU3]

My dentist feels that this particular antibiotic is the most effective one. I spoke with him about other antibiotics that were safe to take while bfing. He said he didn't feel that different antibiotics would be as effective. He did say that I would be taking antbiotics for the 4 weeks the perio work was being done and for 2 weeks afterward. ( thats an awfuly long time!) maybe he felt that no antibiotic would be safe for that long.. I'm not sure.. but he did say he was not going to do the work while i was stil bfing....he was very understanding about it.. and said another few months would'nt be detrimental... but I do need this work done.. I have some pockets that are 6 & 7!!!... not to mention that being the weirdo that I am.. the mention of a lowgrade infection thats present makes me suddenly not feel so good...:
Anyway, thank you so much for your input. you are truely a kind person to take time to read these posts.. not to mention offer your knowledge and opinions. I am grateful !

[kerosine13]

gum disease and preterm birth

I have gum disease. For several years when I was younger and travelling around I didn't take care of my teeth at all. In the past few years I have been to the dentist a few times for sessions of "deep cleaning" and they always give me a big lecture about the state of my mouth. I brush lots and try to floss daily plus mouthwash but it is like fighting a losing battle. My s/o has the same problem, and he has no dental insurance. I feel like when we swap spit we're swapping gingivitis germs, too! I also worry about my oldest dd, who has had dental trouble since her teeth came in. I worry that dd#2 is destined for dental misery too. Is gum disease a family affair?

Both my girls were born four weeks early, for no "apparent" reason. I have heard about gum disease as a factor in preterm birth. If I want to have another baby should I worry more about my gums? Is there any treatment besides the daily floss grind? I just don't always get to it after chasing 2 kids all day. I read the gum disease threads but I guess I'm looking for some more info on this specifically if anyone has any.

[boobykinmamma]

Yes, gum disease can definitly contribute to preterm birth, and even heart disease if it gets very advanced--it can be very serious business and is not something to slack off on. I have periodontal disease (probably what you have it you've had the deep pocket cleaning). Mine is not severe, but I am religious about taking care of my teeth now. I know flossing can be difficult to get to every day with kids, but it really only takes about 5 minutes or less. I also use a Sonicare toothbrush and a product Smilemamma has endorsed (you might have seen the posts) called Gum and Tooth Tonic, from the Dental Herb Company (has to be purchased from a dentist). Also, I go to my dentist every 3 months for a periodontal maintainance cleaning. They really aren't that expensive, as long as you keep up with them.

I'm pregnant now and taking especially good care of my teeth and gums. DS wasn't premature, but his birth weight was very low, and I suspect that my gum disease (not diagnosed until almost 2 years after he was born), might have been a factor.

[kerosine13]

Thanks for the responses! Unfortunately I'm a medical-coupon mama who goes to a low-income dental clinic. It is hard to get appointments at all! I do have one again in the fall, but I have my doubts whether they will know about the Tooth and Gum Tonic but I will surely ask. I've looked longingly at those fancy toothbrushes, but alas- it's the plain ol' bristles on a stick for the time being!
I really do want to get my mouth in better shape. Right now dh is starting his own business and he doesn't even have any dental coverage at this point. I feel like it is harder for me to fix my problems when we swap germs! But having had two preterm babies (4 weeks early) I am determined to get things shaped up within the next three years when we decide if/when we'll have another!
Thanks again.

[DharmaDisciple]

sensitive gum line and pockets

I've just returned from my dentist who said my teeth were fine. But on 3 of my teeth the gum looks like it's receding and it looks darker than my other gumline on my other teeth. At the base of one of them it looks like it has a hairline crack. The base of these teeth is sensitive to touch. I don't want it to turn into peridontal disease as I've just read a leaflet on it and it sounds so scary. I brush with an electric toothbrush and use a mouthwash. Anything else I can do to prevent it from getting worse???

[Grantsmommy]

I too have sensitive teeth, receeding gums, and a few pockets. My dentist thinks the pockets will probably stay the same ( I only have a few) because she's been monitoring them for some time and they are not getting any worse. I take very good care of my teeth. She did recommend a Sonic toothbrush, which I bought and have been using for about 8 months now. I think it's better than a regular electric brush. My mother had some issues with pocketing and gum dx and she found some research about the benefits of neem. She actually massaged her gums with the neem toothpaste and her pockets improved in 3 months! I don't know the name of the product...sorry. There are some natural toothpastes that have neem in them. Also, I think Tom's of Maine makes a mouthwash with neem and goldenseal...also good. Make sure you're not using a whitening toothpaste. That only makes recession worse. Good luck!

[happy]

Gum Disease (ugh)

Thanks for the info in the archives about gum disease. You mentioned an effective essential oil mouth rinse, what is it? And what about the baking soda and peroxide mix? Neem? I'm willing to try anything with my hormonal gingivitis troubles. Sonic toothbrushes? (I use an electric)

[myrrhmaid]

I'm not sure of an essential oil for gum disease, I do know that the resin myrrh gum is very healing to the mouth, stomach, digestive track. Soak a cotton swab in myrrh gum tincture & hold it on the area that is giving you trouble, several times a day.
Also COQ10, an enzyme, has been proven to kill the bacteria that causes gum disease.
I use to have a tooth, (I still have it, it just doesn't act up anymore) that was my 'weathervane' so to speak of my health. If I was getting run down, this one gum/tooth would get inflamed. After taking coq10, it doesn't do that anymore.

[Willow Tree]

Early pregnancy gum problems

Hi smilemomma and others,

Iam about 5 weeks pregnant with # 2 and my gums are absolutley killing me! they keep swelling up at the gum line underneath the roof of my mouth I can barely eat! I have had dental surgery for a front tooth that is fake on a post, along with gum surgery this was almost 4 years ago! I now have no medical/ dental coverage and since we are relocating I cant apply for any. Do you have any advice that could get me through until then?
thANKS A BUNCH!!