Anybody with gum disease or receding gums want to chat - feel like I’m the only person in the world with this awful disease

[Shootingstarsparkle]

Hi, exactly what the title says basically - I have chronic periodontitis and severely receding gums. I’m so scared and my every waking moment I worry about losing my teeth. It’s affecting my whole life. Just wanted someone to chat to about it all really and wondering if anyone else is in the same position

3 is the number that makes my hygienist get upset for gaps.

I didn't come out well for teeth in the genetic lottery. Here's my armoury in the constant fight against gingivitis.
Pay to see the hygienist extra visits each year.
Curasept mouthwash for ten days after the hygienist
Daily:
Electric toothbrush
Interdental brushes twice a day before brushing
Fluoride mouthwash as a rinse
Curasept gel on any problem area.

I get my interdental brushes wholesale from Dental Sky. The supermarket ones don't last me a week.

i keep floss and dental picks on my desk (I WFH) and use them when I remember. If I keep them on my desk I remember to do it! Also in the shower is a good place as it helps you remember.

using xylitol sugar as a mouth rinse is good for getting rid of bad and bulding up good bacteria. the good bacteria are key to healthy gums, so even supplementing with good bacteria e.g. probiotics in your diet can really help gum health provided you're ontop of the manual cleaning.

one thing I would say is being too rough on the gums can cause receding, so you want to be careful that you are keeping them clean enough and teeth clean but also not being too harsh on them.

Which probiotics are good, any particular ones?? I also heard taking COq10 capsules is good so have been taking them for a while now.
How easy are interdental brushes to use? I have a waterpik flossed but find it makes my gums bleed every time I try using it, even on the gentle setting, so don’t use it as often as I should.

@beck1976 if your gums are bleeding it's because they are not clean enough so a good enough cleaning regimen will help. so don't be afraid of bleeding gums and brushing them a bit even though they are bleeding as it's necessary - after a while once they are healthy they will stop bleeding!

It may be that using interdental may be better though than waterpik as that can be a bit full on. I actually don't like interdental and use the Tepe EasyPik instead usually:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/EasyPick-Dental-Picks-hygiene-healthy/dp/B00Y0QDEJE
they last much longer, the orange ones seem to last a few uses each and because they are tapered using one size seems to be ok for most gaps. They are also much easier to get between the teeth and apparently just as good as interdental brushes for bacteria removal. The silicone material means they are less of a hassle to use and get between teeth. and apparently in tests people find them much preferable vs interdental brushes.

Ref the probiotics here is an article: https://askthedentist.com/oral-probiotics/#:~:text=Using%20dental%20probiotics%20as%20part,brevis%20seems%20to%20reduce%20inflammation.

and yes co-enzyme q10 is also good. You can also take the capsules apart and swish the contents around your mouth for on-gum healing which I find good too!

I'm very jealous of the posters with a 3 score for their pockets. Last week I got 6s, 7s and a 9!!

I posted earlier on in this thread because I was referred for the deep cleaning where they anaesthetise your mouth and peel back the gums, and wanted to know a bit more about it. I had it done in April and just thought I’d update for anyone else who was interested!

So I had an initial appointment with the periodontist who did a full exam and then passed me on for the deep cleaning with a specially trained hygienist. I had my whole mouth done over 2 appointments - the first was the worst because she did more than half and I was in there for 2 hours. SO MUCH ANAESTHETIC! She had to use extra and I didn’t get full feeling back until the following morning!! I cannot lie, it was unpleasant and uncomfortable, and once the anaesthetic had worn off it was pretty painful still. I spent the rest of the day with a massive headache and feeling quite cold and shaky which she said was perfectly normal. In fact the advice was to go home, sit on the sofa and eat lots of chocolate to help you recover!!

Second appointment was about an hour. She said she could already see the bits that had been done already were looking much better. This appointment was much easier as it was only about 1/3 of my mouth left to go. I was fine by later that day. The hygienist gave me lots of advice about what to do to keep them healthy, I use 4 different sizes of tepe brush now, some of them are massive!!!

I then had a follow up with the periodontist who said there was considerable improvement and he was discharging me from seeing them again.

I have seen my regular hygienist since then and she was really impressed. I have no bleeding, pockets are massively reduced and my gums are so pink!! I didn’t realise how red and swollen they were before. The only downside which they warned me would happen, is that as the infection has gone the gums have receded even further, but that’s unavoidable really.

Overall I’m really pleased. It wasn’t the most pleasant of experiences but it definitely worked!

Happy to answer any questions.

That sounds awful - I’m dreading my appointment even more now….

They cut your gum open?? How do they close it back together again?

im really panicked as one of my lower front teeth is really loose and I’ve been told I will most likely lose it within the next 6 months and I’m devastated. I’m going to be so self-conscious and embarrassed 😢

Oh no, I’m sorry!! It was meant to be reassuring!! I was absolutely bricking it before I went but it wasn’t as bad as I expected at all!! They don’t cut the gum, they just push it back so they can properly clean underneath it. It is sore and bloody but heals by itself. The shock I describe is more about lying there with someone messing around in my mouth for 2 hours rather than pain, the anaesthetic meant it was just uncomfortable and then painful for a bit when it wore off. I should have had 3 appointments to have it done but they asked if I would do a double appointment and I agreed.

the results are 100% worth it for me.

@Tacocatgoatcheesepizza thank you for the update. I also had the deep cleaning under the gums, although it was done in 4 session, one quadrant at a time, that was difficult enough, I can't imagine being in the chair for two hours!

Unfortunately mine doesn't seem to have worked as well. I'm dreading my appointment on Wednesday but at the same time just can't wait for it to be here so i know more..I'm extremely worried about my shifted tooth and also worried about what numbers my pockets will read at. Can I ask what numbers you are having now? And how often you visit the hygienist? The lady I saw before covid said every 3 months, then during covid I couldn't get an appointment for over a year, when I went back she had left and the new hygienist recommended 6 monthly appointments, I think this may have been the problem though, just too long in between visits!

@WantingToEducate when is your appointment? Please don't worry about the cleaning, it isn't pleasant but it is managable. I tend to pick a spot on the ceiling and just concentrate on that until it's over! Try and relax and breathe through it normally (not easy I know)

Thank you for that - I will take the advice. I can’t even imagine it being done for that long……the normal scale and polish which lasts 30 minutes seems to last forever!! My appointment is in 4 weeks.

I’m more worried about what he’s going to say. They dentist and hygienists I seen so far have all made comments on my age and they rarely see this level of gum disease in “someone so young” and I really feel like I’m being judged. I hate it 😢

@WantingToEducate I have the same about feeling judged. The dentist talks to me like I'm stupid and that I'm purposely not cleaning my teeth properly! I am meticulous about it, I know I must be going wrong somewhere but it's definitely not through lack of trying!

How old are you if you don't mind me asking? I'm 37.

I’m 40.

Up until about ten years ago I only went to the dentist if I had a problem as I was so fearful of them. My mum is terrified of the dentist and so she never took me for check-ups when I was young and the fear just got passed down to me and so I rarely went.

I hate my teeth as it is and it’s actually because I went to speak to my dentist about having braces to straighten them that he examined me and saw the gum disease.

My gums had been bleeding for about 6
months by this time but I stupidly hadn’t acted on it. I just thought maybe I was brushing too hard and so the diagnosis completely blind sided me.

That was about a year ago now and I have had three hygienist appointments in that time and now seeing the periodontist in a month.

At my last dental check-up (about 6 weeks ago) he said my teeth are absolutely fine and it’s just the gum disease that needs addressing.

I had no clue what ‘pockets’ were until I read this thread. When I last saw the hygienist she kept muttering the number 3 to herself so I’m assuming that was her measuring.

If I could wish for anything, it would be to wake up tomorrow with perfect gums and perfect teeth 😢

@Ame133 I find the numbers really confusing because I think they use 2 different scales, one where 3-4 is bad and one where 5-9 is bad. When I last saw the dentist I was getting mostly 4-8, when I had my check up after the treatment is was 1-3.

I am 43 by the way and have had gum disease for years. I think it started when I was pregnant with my eldest (now 11!) and could barely brush my teeth because it made me vomit. But it got missed for years because my teeth are actually fine, it’s just the gums. And I’ve been told a few times it’s quite rare to see gum disease when the teeth are soo healthy 🤷🏼‍♀️

I have very good teeth but my gums are really bad. Not sure what number the pockets are (I’ve never been told in 20 years) I’ll ask when I am next in.

My gums have started to turn grey at the front… I take it that’s because they are dead or infected?

Yes, I have a tooth that has moved. I can't find a dentist (and can't afford private). It is a front tooth that has moved, and it now pokes out between my lips when my mouth is closed. Removal is the only way for me, but I can't afford it.

There are 2 main ways to measure the pockets. One is BPE and that puts each area into a category 0-4 dependent on the deepest probing depth. 4 points around the tooth are probed. If there is a pocket with a probing depth of more than 3.5mm it’s a 3 if more than 5.5mm it’s a 4. If you’re hearing larger numbers they are doing a 6 point pocket chart which is measuring the exact lovely depths at 6 points around the tooth.

https://www.bsperio.org.uk/assets/downloads/BPE_Guidelines_2011.pdf

this is a better explanation

I have some areas of recession on one side through clenching my teeth in my twenties and not wearing a mouth guard. I think possibly over brushing too with a manual brush. I now wear one, Infact I rotate two different styles 🤦🏻‍♀️but am
convinced the recession will worsen so I see the hygienist 4 times a year at £110
a pop!!!

Things that have helped are …
Night mouth guard. The dentist likes the retainer style as she has heard the other style that fits over the front top teeth can cause peoples bite to change and cause worse issues. I chop and change as the retainer style still allows me to clench my jaw

Using my water irrigator nightly. That’s had the biggest effect. She was amazed how improved my gums were last time I went off the back of this.

Probiotics. Off the back of a recommendation I take them ever day and it’s definitely helped with sensation in my mouth /sensitivity. Someone elsewhere recommended a probiotic toothpaste that I was thinking of trying.

Gum massage. I use Gingegel at night and walnut oil in the morning. A holistic dentist I follow online reckoned your gums love massage. So I thought it was worth a go.

Diet. This is a key component. You need to cut out refined carbs and sugar as well as acidic drinks. The ideal diet would be low carb. You are trying to reduce inflammation which is why a previous poster was talking about fasting.

I like expanding floss and also make sure I keep on top of plaque on the inside of my bottom teeth by using those floss sticks. I put my glasses on once a week and get in the mirror and have a really good deplaquing session as it can build up into tartar surprisingly quickly and tartar left untouched will permanently push the gums away from the teeth. That’s why after a hygienist visit, if you only go once a year say, you can end up with what looks like gaps between your teeth. That’s because the inflammation reduces and the gums get less puffy plus the tartar was forming part of the body of the tooth. I know there’s lots of posts k line with patients claiming the hygienist caused gums to recede but it doesn’t work like that.

I literally hate my gums so much. They give me the worst pain ever before my period now, and are literally so sensitive and bleed a lot that I am crying in pain sometimes when I brush.

It all started after my 3rd baby was born in 2020, and I'm pretty sure I'm going through perimenopause now too, triggered by that previous pregnancy. I need had any problems with inflammation or gingivitis before the whole time in my youth, yet having reached middle age and 3 children later, I fear that menopause will cause even more havoc.

The hormonal fluctuations are literally just the key to my gums being really sore and I can put money on the lower oestrogen making my gums hurt so much before my period, whereas I'd never had any problems whatsoever with my periods and gums before. I use all the resources recommended: electric toothbrush, interdental brushes, floss, mouthwash, watch my diet, lower sugar than ever, yet I can put money on when my period is due because of my gum problems.

I'm fed up with it all, and if the next 30 years consist of this crap and worse, I'm ready to have no teeth 😥😫 I'm supersensitive to side effects of a lot of medication now too, after I was injured by psychotropic drugs and left with a neurological involuntary movement disorder, so HRT to sort hormones out might be interesting...

After seeing various hygienists, periodontists and dentists over the past few years too, I'm pretty certain that they will just say "take HRT and put up with it". I don't think it's going to be solved by much else apart from regular hygienist cleans and meticulous oral care.

Grr. Being a woman sucks big time at times 😥💔🙄😭

Plus for years I had awful tartar that I didn't realise what it was, and didn't have it cleaned off until the recent gum problems and it never caused any issues before. So I pretty much know that horrible hormones are the cause of this all 🙄😭😥

Agreed. A scale and clean is part of the exam you pay for but try telling your dentist that. I pay £60 for hygienist. I don't have x-rays as I have braces. My dentist could do a quick scale in that time but does she fuck.

Some dentists will do it, but with NHS dentistry on its knees it might be difficult.

It’s also worth saying that not all hygienists are the same I

i couldn’t see my normal hygienist over covid but did manage to see someone locally and had a couple of appointments where they use the salt spray machine. I couldn’t believe how quick and easy it was and the hygienist checked my teeth after and did a small amount of jiggery pokery.

it was only when I saw my actual dentist a few months later that they said I needed to book in and see the hygienist. ASAP. I was shocked, I said I only saw one recently and she said they’d left tartar around my bottom teeth and the gums were starting to look inflamed. I knew it was all a bit quick and easy but I’d convinced myself everything was good. It wasn’t.

This is all so stressful, I didn't know they had two systems for measuring pockets.

I have decided to make an appointment with a private dentist for a 2nd opinion also, I don't have a lot of faith in my dentist and hate how he makes me feel. I can't afford to go private for everything but even if they say the say thing at least it might give me some faith back in my dentist.

@XenoBitch can I ask why you are waiting to have your front tooth removed? Is that the only option that they have given you?