Need advice

[lil_miss_understood]

Okay, so here's the deal:
I have periodontal disease. I cannot clean my teeth properly because of how messed up they are. I cannot get floss through the lack of gaps in my teeth to clean between teeth. I brush daily (twice a day) with a fluoride toothpaste (yes, I know I should stop with the fluoride, though I'd like more info on how to clean my teeth without fluoride toothpaste).
So, in order to clean my teeth properly, I need to get braces for 2 years.
However, I have mercury fillings.
Unfortunately, I'm also nursing. :
So now I'm at a stalemate. What do I do?
I can't get braces because I have fillings I have to remove. I can't remove the fillings because I'm nursing. I would very much prefer not to wean until he's at least 2 yos (he's 15 mos now).
WWYD?

[AunHump]

Can you pump and store enough to get you through the dental work?

[lil_miss_understood]

I don't get anything when I'm pumping and ds2 doesn't drink anything I do manage to get. He either dumps it if it's in a cup or throws it across the room if it's in a bottle.

[tanyalynn]

Have you done any reading on oil pulling? Swishing oil in your mouth first thing in the morning--read more than my very brief description, of course. People have reported improvements in their gums and teeth among other things.

I decided not to while I was nursing, because it does seem to change the balance of toxins in your body, but I think in relatively subtle ways. And if the choice is weaning early (how's your LO's gut?) or putting off dental work that's causing immediate problems, then the risk/benefit ratio may be in your favor. There are threads in H&H and Traditional Foods that discuss oil pulling a lot more.

[lil_miss_understood]

DS2 had reactions through bm to strawberries, peanuts, walnuts, almonds and coconut. I've since added them all back in, but recently realized he reacts to strawberries still (very yucky poo and screamed in his sleep ) so took them out again.
I'll go look for those threads. Thanks, Tanya!

[tanyalynn]

I asked about your LO's gut because the impression I get is that mostly, kids with pre-existing gut issues get worse after weaning even though in the situations I've read about, mom has had health issues as well. Which doesn't mean that weaning should always be delayed indefinitely--it's just hard to balance mom and LO. We are fortunate that, while our guts probably aren't wonderful, they're ok and we don't have obvious symptoms or problems, so when I weaned my son at 21mos, things stayed basically the same after.

Good luck!!

[lil_miss_understood]

Originally Posted by TanyaLopez

I asked about your LO's gut because the impression I get is that mostly, kids with pre-existing gut issues get worse after weaning even though in the situations I've read about, mom has had health issues as well. Which doesn't mean that weaning should always be delayed indefinitely--it's just hard to balance mom and LO. We are fortunate that, while our guts probably aren't wonderful, they're ok and we don't have obvious symptoms or problems, so when I weaned my son at 21mos, things stayed basically the same after.

Good luck!!

Oh ick. Don't say that!
I'm hoping to do some gut healing myself and hoping too that it'll help the LO if my gut stops being so leaky, iykwim.
Thanks for the luck. I can always use more of it!

[Koalamom]

Ugg, periodontal disease, that hurts. I had it and I would do anything to relieve the soreness. I am doing pretty good now. It is pretty much gone, and I tried so many natural products. So here is what I recommend for someone in your situation:

1-2 teaspoons camu camu powder (very high in most usable vitamin c, known to regrow gums) (this is very important- don't skimp on the servings)

Swishing with Ioxan from baar.com or miracle mouthwash from uncleharrys.com (I found more success from Ioxan)

Swishing with salt water from celtic sea salt or Himalayan salt

Brushing with herbal tooth powder from herbsfirst.com or uncleharrys.com tooth powder

Flossing (just give it a try even if you cant)

vitamin E

Water pik every day. (I heard that it is great at stopping gum problems, but I had success from flossing and all the above products)

Good luck! I know it can get better and will!

[lil_miss_understood]

Thanks, bluebird! I'm going to check those things out right now.
This kind of hit me from behind. I'd never had swollen gums and they've never hurt. They just suddenly started receding and bleeding intermittently and when I went to the orthodontist the other day he said I had bone loss from periodontitis and pockets up to 13mm deep.
ETA: I don't mean that I don't floss at all- I do floss some, but irregularly because I've actually damaged my gums before by flossing so I'm kind of scared to floss. I cut one 3mm deep because it suddenly "popped" between my teeth. Trying to "saw" it in doesn't help and just shreds the floss.

[GreatfulMomma]

I'm really sorry to hear that you're in such a situation.

I second the suggestion of using a waterpik. Add one teaspoon of household bleach (yeah I know it sounds crazy) to a full tank of H20 and irrigate thoroughly, most especially under your gums. It'll taste like strong pool water. You don't ingest it, you hang over the sink so it runs out of your mouth. It helps to kill the agents that actually cause the disease. There is some new thoughts that viruses may be involved, not just bacteria, as was previously believed. I just heard this last week.

I'm a dental hygienist, so I try to keep up with this stuff.

I do question the need to have your fillings removed/replaced prior to placement of orthodontics. If you have 13mm of bone loss, you should be seen by a periodontist for a consultation prior to any other treatment, to get a prognosis for that tooth and the rest of your mouth. If your perio disease is advanced, orthodontics may not be what you need right now.

[lil_miss_understood]

I'm wondering about the 13mm pocket. I had all of my wisdom teeth removed about 3 months ago (maybe 4?) because they were all impacted. I'm wondering about the bone loss also, as my dentist didn't say anything about any bone loss to me. In fact, he said I had the jaw bones of a teenager. : The ortho is the one who said I had bone loss so I'm a little confused.

What I've been doing is:
night: brushing with conventional fluoride toothpaste, flossing (very carefully- I cut one of my gums already though again, thankfully not too badly) and rinsing with conventional mouth wash
morning: brushing with glycerine soap, oil pulling, rinsing with salt water (Real Salt), then brushing with glycerine soap again.
With this "regime" I've actually seen some improvement already, believe it or not. I honestly believe it's the oil pulling because, other than flossing (which I did just not every tooth like I do now), my night time routine hasn't changed. After brushing tonight, there was less blood than usual.

[GreatfulMomma]

Soap is a natural antibacterial, so that may be helping as well.

Is the 13mm pocket behind your last molar, where your impacted wisdom tooth was? That could be it, and if so it may fill in with bone over time.

Your primary dentist should have xrays and periodontal probing on you. Ask him/her or your hygienist what their exams say.

[lil_miss_understood]

Originally Posted by GreatfulMomma

Soap is a natural antibacterial, so that may be helping as well.

Is the 13mm pocket behind your last molar, where your impacted wisdom tooth was? That could be it, and if so it may fill in with bone over time.

Your primary dentist should have xrays and periodontal probing on you. Ask him/her or your hygienist what their exams say.

The ortho showed me the xrays and pointed exactly where my wisdom teeth had been on both sides to show me the bone loss. Yes, the pockets are where my impacted wisdom teeth were (I believe I have pockets where every wisdom tooth was but I could be wrong).
I will definitely ask my primary dentist what their exams say. Thank you so much!