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Original poster

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

199 replies

Shootingstarsparkle · 07/01/2023 12:35

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

OP posts:
Ame133 · 27/08/2023 10:48

My diet isn't great either, I'm technically a healthy bmi but drink an awful lot of diet Coke and eat an awful lot of carbs!! I have tried to give up the diet Coke before, if it is causing or making gym issues worse I will have to try to give it up.

42coats · 27/08/2023 10:56

Has anyone tried hydrogen peroxide? I know when my guns get a little bit bleedy I mouthwash with it for a couple of days and my gums are fine again. No idea if it can be used with advanced gum disease but it's certainly amazing at preventing infection.

Ame133 · 27/08/2023 11:05

Can anyone recommend which supplements they take please? For the co enzyme q10 they are available in so many different strengths and I'm not sure which ones to get. Thanks

Interested in this thread?

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Dental health General health
mushroommummy · 28/08/2023 00:27

I’ve been using everything that’s been recommended to me in the hope that it will eventually help my sore gums.

Does anyone know roughly how long it will take to help?

going to start eating healthier as of tomorrow in a bid to reduce the risk of heart problems.

trulyunruly01 · 28/08/2023 01:29

I'd second using a water irrigation system, waterpik is a well known brand but mine is just the first one that popped up on Amazon. I had a couple of areas on my lower jaw that were measuring a 4, at the check up following starting to use the water thingy they were back at a 2.
Expect gum to bleed for the first couple of times.

XenoBitch · 30/08/2023 23:20

@Ame133 my affected tooth has drifted and flared so much. It sticks out of my mouth now. If I am to keep it, it would cost £k in bone grafts and alignment. I can't even afford the £150 or so to have it taken out.

nottoday300 · 30/08/2023 23:41

Hi all I'm just writing this so I can read all tomorrow my son has been going through sheer hell over this over 10+ at guys endodentology dental unit bad pocket in gum and it's nothing to do with dental hygiene I'll read in the morning it's been awful it's flared again night all

beck1976 · 11/09/2023 23:58

Hi everyone,
who takes probiotic supplements for their gum health and has seen improvements?
which are the best ones to take please as I want to get some but just don’t know which to try?

WantingToEducate · 26/09/2023 09:30

I know the thread has sort of died off but I’ve got my appointment in 2 hours with the periodontist and I’m so nervous!!

Since my last appointment my lower incisor (mid central) has started to become more obviously loose when I run my tongue behind my lower front teeth.

I was told at my last appointment with the standard hygienist (2 months ago) that it was starting to loosen and it was very likely I would loose the tooth at some point but I’m not sure I’m ready to have that discussion today.

The good new though is that at my hygienist appointment she said my gum health had massively improved since if last been seen (3 months prior to that appointment) and I couldn’t have done any better. I haven’t had bleeding gums for well over 6 months now too so I’m happy about that.

When the hygienist referred me to the periodontist she said it was just to get his opinion and he may well refer me straight back to her so I’m assuming things can’t be that bad? I asked her if things were pretty sure and she very firmly assured me that things weren’t.

I’m hoping I don’t get a telling off at my appointment this morning but I just don’t know what to expect.

WantingToEducate · 26/09/2023 09:55

Lots of typos up there but when I wrote “I asked her if things were pretty sure” (in relation to my gym health), I meant to write, “I asked her if things were pretty dire”

yellowsuncat · 26/09/2023 15:16

@WantingToEducate hope it went ok at the appointment today! Such a mega mission to keep gums healthy but worth it.

WantingToEducate · 26/09/2023 18:10

yellowsuncat · 26/09/2023 15:16

@WantingToEducate hope it went ok at the appointment today! Such a mega mission to keep gums healthy but worth it.

Well I ended up in tears!!

As he was talking me to me about the severity of what was happening and discussing treatment options with me I just felt completely overwhelmed and very, very worried.

I burst into tears in front of him and two of the dental nurses and it was mortifying 😬

So I’ve now got a £1’200 bill in front of me for the upcoming treatment I need.

My next appointment will be a
more in-depth assessment (whereas today was just a quick look and a chat), some X-rays and possibly some impressions of my upper and lower jaw as my bite isn’t symmetrical and he thinks that will also be contributing to my problems. He will also do some blood tests to get an overall picture of my health and to see if there are any underlying causes that may be to blame for deterioration in my gums.

Then the appointment after that will be for the deep, deep cleaning. He said I will have to in for an hour in the morning to one side of my jaw done (5 numbing injections) and then return for another hour in the evening to have the side done (another 5 injections). I kind of switched off when he was telling me what the procedure entailed as I thought I’d probably just start crying again. I had to completely detach myself from what was going on.

After that appointment he said he wouldn’t see me again for 3 months to re-evaluate and that hopefully things would be much better. He said if not there’d need to be more intervention done but we’d cross that bridge if we came to it.

He seemed quite confident that the problem could be fixed so I’m just going to put my trust in him and hope for the best 🤞

yellowsuncat · 27/09/2023 09:37

@WantingToEducate Sounds rought. Try not to get too upset and focus on the fact that it is being sorted out! So whilst it may not be pleasant to go through, you can take control from this point. It also may be worth planning what personal interventions you can make once treatment is done - such as probiotics, oral irrigator, daily flossing, xylitol swishing or oil pulling, water fasting etc (it is worth giving this a go as it helps the body clear infections - but do it safely), not using toothpaste with SLS in it as it can irritate the gums more etc etc. I did a tonne of research on reddit and other places and got so much helpful advice that I think helped me to feel in control and have slowly implemented the changes in daily life and they have made a massive difference. At the moment things are way better and I am super happy with my gum health after a horrible time of treatment and issues and fretting for years. You'll get there!

danni0509 · 27/09/2023 12:12

Just marking this to come back and read later.

WantingToEducate · 27/09/2023 13:04

yellowsuncat · 27/09/2023 09:37

@WantingToEducate Sounds rought. Try not to get too upset and focus on the fact that it is being sorted out! So whilst it may not be pleasant to go through, you can take control from this point. It also may be worth planning what personal interventions you can make once treatment is done - such as probiotics, oral irrigator, daily flossing, xylitol swishing or oil pulling, water fasting etc (it is worth giving this a go as it helps the body clear infections - but do it safely), not using toothpaste with SLS in it as it can irritate the gums more etc etc. I did a tonne of research on reddit and other places and got so much helpful advice that I think helped me to feel in control and have slowly implemented the changes in daily life and they have made a massive difference. At the moment things are way better and I am super happy with my gum health after a horrible time of treatment and issues and fretting for years. You'll get there!

Thank you for that. I wish I could say I feel calmer today but I don’t and I’ve still been a little bit tearful over it 😢

I’ve just Googled him though and he seems to have excellent credentials so I will just have to put my trust in him.

We we’re having a little chat about triggers for gum disease and he said stress can be a huge contributory factor and I told him all the stress I’d been under over the last 3-4 years with regards to my job and my health and he said that my stress levels are likely playing a role.

Ironically all this diagnosis is doing is just adding wen more stress to my already high levels of stress 😬

I would give anything to have perfect gums and teeth 😢

BIossomtoes · 27/09/2023 13:09

I’m very grateful to you @WantingToEducate. I was going to have my gum disease addressed. I’m now not going to. I’ll submit to hygienist appointments but nothing more. I’d rather have dentures.

yellowsuncat · 27/09/2023 15:27

@blossomtoes
please get your gum disease addressed as soon as you can. The consequences go way beyond dentures if you don't! Bad gum disease can affect the heart, brain, gum disease can cause plaque build up in the brain (as it allows bad bacteria through the gum barrier) which can in some cases cause dementia and more. It's just not worth leaving it. getting it sorted is probably a little uncomfortable in the short term but in the long term there are SO many benefits, decent teeth aside!

Deedoo · 29/09/2023 16:53

@WantingToEducate did you have the treatment how did it go

Deedoo · 29/09/2023 16:59

Following thread

WantingToEducate · 29/09/2023 17:19

Deedoo · 29/09/2023 16:53

@WantingToEducate did you have the treatment how did it go

I’ve posted just up above a few times about how my appointment went.

I’ve got another assessment appointment in November (including X-rays, bloods and possible mouth moulds) and then the appointment after that will be the deep scaling under anaesthetic.

Querty123456 · 29/09/2023 17:23

I’ve had the deep cleaning procedure done under LA. I would stress that it wasn’t bad at all - really nothing to worry about and it does really help improve the situation. I wish I hadn’t put it off like I did.

Deedoo · 29/09/2023 17:28

@WantingToEducate sounds like you have a great plan keep us posted xx

Deedoo · 29/09/2023 17:29

@Querty123456 great to know was this with periodontist x

BIossomtoes · 29/09/2023 17:34

yellowsuncat · 27/09/2023 15:27

@blossomtoes
please get your gum disease addressed as soon as you can. The consequences go way beyond dentures if you don't! Bad gum disease can affect the heart, brain, gum disease can cause plaque build up in the brain (as it allows bad bacteria through the gum barrier) which can in some cases cause dementia and more. It's just not worth leaving it. getting it sorted is probably a little uncomfortable in the short term but in the long term there are SO many benefits, decent teeth aside!

Thank you. I genuinely appreciate that. However I’m now old enough to see heart disease and dementia, along with numerous age related conditions, rapidly hoving into view and it’s too late for the state of my gums to have any impact on that. I’ll take my chances as I’d have had to 20 years ago.

XenoBitch · 29/09/2023 20:38

yellowsuncat · 27/09/2023 15:27

@blossomtoes
please get your gum disease addressed as soon as you can. The consequences go way beyond dentures if you don't! Bad gum disease can affect the heart, brain, gum disease can cause plaque build up in the brain (as it allows bad bacteria through the gum barrier) which can in some cases cause dementia and more. It's just not worth leaving it. getting it sorted is probably a little uncomfortable in the short term but in the long term there are SO many benefits, decent teeth aside!

That is all well and good if you have a dentist. Many people don't and simply can't afford to go private.