Periodontal disease... Stage 4. Anyone able to recover from this?!

[Nickname1980]

Just that really. As I've posted on a couple of other threads, my periodontal disease is pretty bad. And I am getting a tooth extracted next week. And have the four quadrant cleanings booked with antibiotic injections.

Are my teeth screwed always?! Anyone recover from it?!

The dentist said they'll look ugly after as the gum shrinks and I'll get the "black triangles". I used to have a good smile! I'm totally gutted.

I didn't see this coming at all! Have been busy producing kids though. I'm so diligent at cleaning my teeth. Dentist reckoned it could be genetic.

Interesting! I'm thinking of getting all my vitamin and hormone levels checked. Didn't even know you could get vit D tested at the docs.

Gingeroots I have the Oral B 2000 and have been told to use the cross action head (which it comes with). I will try to find out the name of the manual toothbrush. There's a specific way I've been shown to use the Oral B though which is difficult to describe on here.

I have started taking coq10 since finding out. And I remember once discovering my vitamin d was low! (Years ago.) Apparently it's the most common vitamin deficiency - that and iron.

I think I'll also get mine checked!

Yes I also have that toothbrush (I think, I know it's Oral B and the one the hygeinest recommended) and was also shown a specific way. You're right, Missy, it's hard to describe. I was told to sort of angle it downwards, for four seconds on each side of the tooth, making sure you get your gum cleaned too. That's prob not helpful as I think you have to be shown!

I've just had my first check up. My new best hygienist friend said my response to the root scaling and planing has been superb. She sounded like she could hardly believe how much things have tightened.

SO - I know we are all shooting blind with vitamins but a couple of weeks before my treatment I read some research from Birmingham Uni that combined root scaling and planing with Juice Plus tablets and the attachment the got after treatment of was better than expected - the researchers said they were surprised. I think it was in a group who were vitamin deficient anyway.

I was eating really badly before my treatment due to shock -I was hardly eating anything- so I thought it wouldn't harm taking the tablets. I started about 10 days before the treatment and carried on for 2 1/2 weeks afterwards. I honestly don't know if the tablets made the difference but I thought I'd mention it. It may be worth tracking down the original research but I guess if you're eating well you won't need those supplements. I've stopped taking them now (another £100 down the drain!) as I'm eating well again but I'm taking a vit D supplement.

Anyway, I need a filling in a back molar. That tooth was really wobbly but it's firmed up so well I'm getting the filling next week.

Go to a special dentist if you can. Have your teeth cleaned every three months.
Have a very good diet, with as little very starchy or sugary food as possible - once you are sensitive to the feeling of the effects of these foods you will feel how your teeth almost instantly feel covered by something unpleasant after eating them. Avoid stress as this makes it worse (not easy).

A tendency for gum disease can definitely be genetic.

It is possible to have a specially fitting pink strip made to cover the black triangles.

Absolutely no smoking.

By the way, I'm not a Juice Plus distributor! :-)

I've not read the whole of the thread but from a non dental angle... gum disease and tooth problems can be a sign of autoimmune problems, gut/digestive issues (UC, coeliac, other inflammatory gut problems), I think as well as causing inflammation in the gums, can cause detrimental changes to the biofilm on the tooth surface...

Yes, that seems to be true from what I've read. A lot of specialists in America seem to be treating them it as autoimmune.

missymop - that's amazing news!! You must be so relieved! I am looking Juice Plus tablets up now. I am a big believer in the whole "you are what you eat" thing. And I know I've been deficient in stuff before.

Super interesting about the autoimmune stuff, foggy and missy. I actually have a few autoimmune things like Raynaud's and coeliac (discovered as an adult- hence the deficiencies). I wonder if it's all linked...?

kinddogs - I am tempted to do a sugar cull! I'm a total chocoholic though. So it'd be hard! I've definitely been stressed out lately as I have a very small baby. Chocolate also pretty much gets me through the day

A gum abscess has just reformed in my mouth, too. Right by the tooth that just had a root canal. My dentist had just prescribed metronidazole so I'm going to take that tomorrow. I wonder if I need to get this abscess drained as well as the antibiotics? It doesn't hurt. Arg feels like two steps forward and one step back!

Nickname, that's interesting that you're coeliac and have Raynaud's as well. It sounds as though there could be a link somewhere.

Info about juice plus and periodontitis... www.birmingham.ac.uk/news/latest/2011/10/18-Oct-Fruit-and-vegetable-compound-offers-hope-against-gum-disease.aspx

Oh no Nickname! I've just read your last bit about the gum abscess! That is such bad luck.

Nickname, could you go on to super dark 80% chocolate? You may find the chocolate does the trick without the added sugar, especially once you are used to it. You might be pleasantly surprised that sugar becomes something you genuinely do not want.

Yes, to vitamin D from me too.

I had not heard of Coq10 before, Please would you tell me what it does?

I think it would be a good idea to have the abcess drained. I am sorry you have that too.

Remember to have a lot of live yogurt, and raw vegetables including onions to repopulate your helpful gut microbes after the anti-biotics.

kinddogstail - yes totally on the dark chocolate. I quit sweet stuff once before and found I preferred dark and found cadburys way too sweet. Over the years I've slowly weaned myself back on . Still prefer the expensive stuff though! (But not necessarily dark anymore!) Haha! Great tips about live yoghurts and raw veggies.

I read a few studies that mentioned Coq10 - here's one: www.livestrong.com/article/365562-coenzyme-q10-for-gum-disease/

I've been taking it a month now and haven't seen any difference - I prob wasn't deficient in it. But I am willing to try anything!!

Wow that study is interesting, missy! Thank you for sending that! I read a long thread once about someone who pretty much took an overdose dose of vitamin c to cure his gum disease. Not willing to take an overdose dose of it, but have upped my vit c intake a lot!

Thank you for the answer and article Nickname. Thank you for the one you sent Missy. I'll read them later.

Hello everyone.

After having quite a stressful Christmas (worrying about my teeth!) I had made an appointment with my dentist. He hasn't referred me for the bone loss because he showed me the x-ray from different angles and said that the hospital dentist was looking at it from an angle that made it look like the loss is worse than it is.

I do have gum disease though and am seeing the hygienist at the end of the month. He tied to reassure me about the recession and said my teeth aren't as bad as I think. To me the bottom ones look awful though!

He also said something about other dentists say it's best to use soft brushes and be gentle around the gums but he disagrees. He says that they need a good scrub! So I don't know what to think. I'll ask the hygienist when I go. I'll also ask her if she recommends the water cleaner things!

He also said my teeth need a good clean but that's because I was brushing them to softly to avoid making the recession worse. I have been using an oral B electric toothbrush and I'm sure I haven't been using it properly.

I hope you are all as OK as can be!

I am also going to increase my intake of vitamin D and read the links above.

Chippenden - your hygienist should give you more info on cleaning your gums and teeth and if he / she doesn't then you should ask specifically. The Oral B I have has a sensor on it and it flashes when I'm pressing too hard. Overall though that's really good news about the fact you haven't lost a lot of bone. You should be able to stabilise that now so you don't loose anymore.

It's great that you have had a good response to the scaling and root planing! It must make you feel better?

I was relieved about the bone loss and he said he has overestimated my pockets or whatever is measured in mm) so he can see the difference in a couple of years, with obviously having regular appointments with him and the hygienist.

He mentioned and op that they can do with the recession but the most recent one they did (it might have actually been the first one they have done) didn't work.

TheChippendenSpook - that's such good news about your lack of bone loss! You must be so relieved!

Like missy said, your hygienist will give you a thorough cleaning routine. I was surprised at how much brushing the gums are supposed to get, she showed me how to angle the toothbrush and gave me all sorts of other brushes etc.

Although my hygienist didn't recommend it (or not recommend it, if that makes sense), I'm now using Gengigel on my gums. People out there seem to really rate it so here goes! (As I said, I'll try anything! )

Thanks :-) I am glad to hear that your gums can take some brushing! even though my dentist told me, I only believe you lot!

I am also going to Google Gengigel. I am using corroded at the moment because I have used it for mouth ulcers in the past and I read that it helps if you have bleeding gums.

I'm willing to try anything too! I have all sort of flossing devices ranging from the little brushes to tape and stick things!x

I was saying to my dentist that it's a human design flaw to only have two sets of teeth! You'd think we would have evolved a bit more by now!x

Just come back on for a bit of a moan 😔 my gum abscess went and my doctor recommended erthomycin as an antibiotic instead of metronidazole.

So I started taking it yesterday. And I've been cleaning my teeth perfectly. And swilling with salt water every time I eat.

But - in the middle of the night - the gum abscess reformed. I know I'm only on day 1 of 5 days of antibiotics but I feel so downtrodden. And scared since I keep thinking I'm going to lose all those back teeth.

The root planing with the Perio doesn't start until early Feb (she wanted to see how my home care got on before I stared. I don't know why!).

I wish it would start now. I am scared of this whole thing constantly! And consumed by it!