Gum disease and water Flosser

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I have been battling with gum disease for a few years now and even though I'm using several sizes of the tepe brushes every day and seeing my dentist or hygienist every three months, I still have varying deep pockets in 3-4 areas. There is bone loss too. My dentist is advising that if the problem areas persist she could refer me for a surgical deep clean which sounds horrific and I can't afford anyway. My hygienist however says that although the problem seems really bad to me, the areas are only small and can be kept on top of with my visits every 3 months.

I'm determined to get this sorted as I'm now panicking at the long term implications of gum disease. (I'm 46 and this all started when I became perimenopausal.)

So - water flossers - do they really make a difference and therefore worth the money?

Can anyone recommended anything else that might help?

Thank you for reading and for any help you can provide.

I would say go for the usual hygenist before you do anything to get them clean to begin with.

For maintenance, i very highly recommend using interspace brushes along the gum line after every brushing - really gets in there to clear plaque. They are not the same as teepee brushes. I've attached a pic. Although recommended for braces etc I find them indispensible for keeping plaque at bay. I've been using them and not needed to go to hygienist for over a year as a result.

Brush three times a day.

Also I swish after brushing and sometimes after eating with Xylitol, which is proven to help kill bacteria associated with gum disease and be beneficial for dental health (helping caries etc). It tastes like and looks like sugar, swish a quarter of a teaspoon around mount / between teeth and spit out after a minute or so, leaving residue on teeth. You can buy a big bag for about £10 on ebay. Buy the birch stuff.

if you are going to go with the water flosser use the portable one rather than the plugged in one, much less of a hassle. You might need to refill it part way through but I use my portable one way more than I used my plugged in one. Also get a proper waterpik one, the other ones I used stopped working. but yes they are good.

I also sometimes do oil pulling with coconut oil while in the shower. Always do it after brushing, as it can temporarily soften enamel just like any eating or drinking, so you wouldn't want to brush after. Coconut oil is antibacterial and very good for gums. Some people think it's a bit woo but I find it helpful.

Also supplements - vitamin B (for skin tissues), vitamin C (for skin tissues), and vitamin D / K (for bones). Coenzyme Q10 is meant to be good for people with gum issues.

forgot to attach a pic! interspace brush.

vitamins D & K should be taken together. You can get a good spray with both in! the combinaton is meant to be good for bones.

Have you tried the te pe easy picks? They are like the brushes but kind of tapered plastic cones. I’d tried everything before this including the water pics and these have been by far the best and certainly least faffy.

One more thing (I have also been battling with gum disease!) that helps is fasting regulalry. The body is proven to fight infections if you go on a fast.

Maybe once a month do a longer fast of 48 - 72 hours. Dry fasting is better as the body goes into autophagy (killing off bad cells / bacteria) to renew itself. I'm working up from 48 hours to 72. I've not done a dry fast yet but that's meant to be the ultimate... I just do water fasting. I think it helps. Worth researching if you're interesting.

Thank you so much for your replies fluffykinscat and AtleastitsnotMonday.

I saw my hygienist a couple of days ago, so I'm determined for there to be a huge change when I go in three months!

I haven't tried the interspace brushes or the Easypick so I'll definitely get them.

I'd heard of the oil pulling too but not tried yet. I've got some coconut oil so can start this straight away. (After brushing, thanks for the tip!)

Which Waterpik Flosser would you recommend? There are quite a few and they vary quite a bit in price.

Thank you again, really appreciate your help.

I'll also look into the fasting, thank you.

definitely use the interspace brushes all along the gumline :)

i also recommend massaging the gums with your toothbrush as part of your brushing routine. i use a Sonicare toothbrush (but the Lidl version after my old one gave out and is just as good). This does great cleaning but replace brush head after about a month. I buy compatible brush heads so much cheaper.

Then use the sonicare or similar electric brush to massage gums for a minute after brushing (not just teeth but right up to top of gums). This helps get blood flow to the gums to encourage healing and regeneration.

Always use your tongue as a guide to check for plaque or biofilm. If your teeth feel nice and smooth that's how you want them. If there's a slight gritty feeling then they are not entirely clean, you might need a new brush head or to do extra cleaning in that area (interspace brush or toothrbush!).

Get a tongue scraper to use after brushing and an oral b electric toothbrush and teepees in different sizes. Ask the hygienist to check how you brush your teeth.

My dentist told me to use super floss for my bridge but I much prefer the sound of those interspace brushes .
Don't suppose a dentist might be reading and could comment ?

What I have learnt...
Yes to using a variety of tepe brushes but make sure they are the correct size for the gaps-as big as you can go, check with hygenist.
Use these (I also use floss) before brushing rather than after.
Use an electric toothbrush (I use Oral B).
Regular trips to the hygenist as you are doing.
No dental professional has ever suggested the water flosser to me, I don't think they are a good substitute for the tepe brushes and floss.
Equally no one has suggested fasting / oil pulling or vitamin supplements although I do take them for other reasons.
The biggest difference, for me, has been as a result of using the correct size Tepes and using them (and the floss) before the toothbrush.

OP, make sure the interdental brushes are a snug fit, if you have very deep pockets in places sometimes it's worth using a narrower one in the base of the space as the larger ones don't reach there.

Periodontal disease has been reclassified and people's risk is based on their worst affected area with the amount of bone loss and their age taken into account so the fact you have some badly affected areas is important. What's your deepest pocket ? Is it shrinking with regular hygiene appointments? If not consider surgical treatment?

We also know there is enormous individual susceptibility and the main things people can do are remove as much plaque as possible and the best way are interdental brushes and an electric toothbrush.

Interspaces can be great for awkward to reach areas.

I'm undecided on air flossers the people I see using them can't be bothered to floss or use interdentals and their results don't appear to be much better with the air flossers/pics.

Oil pulling takes a very long time to do properly and takes commitment and I don't see enough people doing it to tell you if it works imo.

I'm assuming you are not smoking as this is a major factor.

Reducing sugar intake makes sense as the bacteria in plaque needs sugar to multiply.

Sugar free gum contains xylitol which is antibacterial so this also makes sense.

Sorry to have taken so long to come back.

Thank you so much for your replies, every one of them really helpful, thank you.

Hygienist said there's nothing wrong with my brushing and she's checked I'm using the correct size Te-Pe's. The area of particular concern is by my wisdom tooth and she said it may always be an issue due to position and quality of teeth. I seem to remember a measurement of 5 I think??

I'm mid-forties and this all started after I entered peri-menopause. I don't smoke.

The surgical option I just can't afford, so maybe getting the wisdom tooth removed would be a cheaper option.

Can I just mention one thing - xylitol is really dangerous to dogs. Irrelevant to this thread I know, but one tiny bit of chewing gum can kill a dog.

I don't know if dental professionals recommend this but I use disclosing tablets you buy for children.

Thanks for flagging that up! We don't have any dogs but it's always useful to know.