Post: #1

I have receding gums above a few of my teeth.

I've seen a dentist about it and he wasn't much help. He bascially told me there was nothing he could do about it, and that if it could worse, he'd have to surgically repair it (apparently by taking some tissue from my cheek and sticking onto the gum, or something like that).

His advice: "don't brush so hard." The time I saw him before that he said I had a buildup of plaque and needed to brush more aggressively

I've done a bit of reading about oil pulling - a technique where you essentially swish a particular oil around in your mouth - as a cure for gum recession. Coconut oil is commonly cited as a good treatment, and I've heard of people having success using apple cider vinegar.

Has anyone had experience with this?

Post: #2

An oral hygienist will give you better advice than a dentist in this case.

I had the same problem, it appears to be due to plague building between the teeth and gums (according to my oral hygienist) that cause inflammation of the gums and encourages them to retreat.

She told me to do the following:
- floss every second day
- brush teeth with the left hand (it's harder to use excess pressure if you're using your non-dominant hand)
- rinse with salt water after brushing
- come in at least once a year for a proper clean, since brushing will not remove all the plaque.

My gum line improved slowly after taking the above advice, although these days I add baking soda to the salt water rinse.

edit: Also, ask an oral hygienist to teach you proper brushing technique, it's amazing how bad my toothbrushing was and my dentist didn't even pick up on that. You have to use these weird circular movements over the gums, it took me a while to get used to it.

Post: #3

I agree with everything that Thomas said, except you should clean your teeth twice a year if you experience those problems.

Also Google "deep clean" and dentist, although I am not sure that it applies in your case. Deep cleaning procedures do exist.

Post: #4

All of the above, but I want to emphasize salt water, which puffs up the gums. Rinse with it regularly.

Also, plaque and the propensity to get cavities isn't totally based on hygiene, but on genetics, so says my dentist. Case in point: my bro weighs over 300 pounds, has a horrific diet and never brushes, and has no cavities. Yet other members of my family (i.e. me) are in perfect health, eat properly, brush and floss all the time yet get cavities.

Anyway, the point is to get the plaque cleaned off regularly and know it's your body, not some big moral failing. Good dentists now realize this and no longer lecture you needlessly.

Post: #5

brush and floss like a boss.
twice daily + either a listerine or peroxide rinse. ni shortcuts.
akso, look into why your gums are receding. I had incredibly receded gums at the ripe age of 20 even though i have great oral hygene because I grind my teeth like a motherfucker

Post: #6

(03-26-2014 01:13 AM)Kingfisher Wrote:  I have receding gums above a few of my teeth.

I've seen a dentist about it and he wasn't much help. He bascially told me there was nothing he could do about it, and that if it could worse, he'd have to surgically repair it (apparently by taking some tissue from my cheek and sticking onto the gum, or something like that).

His advice: "don't brush so hard." The time I saw him before that he said I had a buildup of plaque and needed to brush more aggressively

I've done a bit of reading about oil pulling - a technique where you essentially swish a particular oil around in your mouth - as a cure for gum recession. Coconut oil is commonly cited as a good treatment, and I've heard of people having success using apple cider vinegar.

Has anyone had experience with this?

1. If you grind your teeth, get a night guard. Your dentist should be able to tell if you grind your teeth. If they can't, time for a new dentist.

2. the surgery isn't that bad, it only takes like an hour and the recovery isn't very hard wither. Get it once you have established why your gums are receding and have addressed the root problem (teeth grinding, smoking, etc).

3. I doubt oil pulling repairs the existing damage, it sounds like that only prevents further damage.

Post: #7

I was skeptical about oil pulling but have coconut oil in the house so I have it a shot. I think it greases your teeth up so plaque has a harder time building up, which is why its good to do right when you wake up or before bed. It seems to have made my brushing and flossing results better but certainly doesn't make me feel like I'm cured of toxins

Post: #8

Floss, brush then swish some hydrogen peroxide for a minute or so. Rinse with clean water after.

Post: #9

(03-26-2014 08:00 AM)Parlay44 Wrote:  Floss, brush then swish some hydrogen peroxide for a minute or so. Rinse with clean water after.

Hydrogen peroxide really messed up my teeth when I tried it. It took months to recover from the dentene pain, and I diluted it quite a bit.

Post: #10

(03-26-2014 08:08 AM)Thomas the Rhymer Wrote:  

(03-26-2014 08:00 AM)Parlay44 Wrote:  Floss, brush then swish some hydrogen peroxide for a minute or so. Rinse with clean water after.

Hydrogen peroxide really messed up my teeth when I tried it. It took months to recover from the dentene pain, and I diluted it quite a bit.

It's an anti-septic. It's good to kill bacteria and if you have bleeding gums. That's why I said do it for a minute. Quick rinse.

Post: #11

Some other stuff that has not been mentioned is to get an electric toothbrush if you don't already have one. It will make it hard to over-brush and stimulate the shit out of your gums. This has had a huge impact on having my gums turn from a greyish color to a much more healthy pink/red color. Also leaves your teeth feeling very polished. Sam's Club had a 2-pack special for $100 so you could have a travel or office one or split it with a friend and that's a great deal compared to $139 or so for just one. This may be a permanent deal they have, not sure. From personal experience, this is a great investment and even people without gum recession should consider getting one if they can afford it.

A hygienist had also recommended me a waterpik, which I tried for a while but switched back to flossing because I felt the stream from the waterpik was too hard to control. She had also mentioned putting in a 1/2 Hydrogen Peroxide, 1/2 water mix in and using that instead of straight water at nighttime. Apparently your body does not create as much saliva in the mouth when you are sleeping and that helps regulate the bacteria and this 1/2 Hydrogen Peroxide, 1/2 water mix helps kill the bacteria.

Before I had read about the oil pulling, I occasionally rubbed some Australian tea tree oil on my gums after brushing because it has anti-bacterial properties. This seemed to have an effect and made my gums healthier looking even according to my hygienist. She even hinted to keep on using it due to the results to keep on doing it but could not give a definite recommendation because she had never heard about it before. This is one that has not received tons of studies but is more of a folk-type remedy but should not be discounted. WARNING: It is supposedly toxic when ingested. It definitely has a strong taste and somewhat numbing effect. Some studies show tea tree oil causes breasts in males...

This guys, http://tomsthird.blogspot.com/2010/11/im...sease.html , says he has cured and even reversed his gum recession. It involves the electric toothbrush, a waterpik, and some time before bedtime to lower the bacteria count in the mouth. I have never met the guy and not sure about the reversal claims but his blog is a good one to check out because he has tired various things and that is what he has determined to be the best route for him.

How bad is your recession? Has anyone recommended scaling and root planing?

Post: #12

Paging DVY.

Post: #13

stop drinking and smoking if you do, thats a big one

Post: #14

Get a sonic toothbrush, they have helped my gum health no end and have pretty much cured my sensitive teeth.

Post: #15

(03-26-2014 01:13 AM)Kingfisher Wrote:  I have receding gums above a few of my teeth.

His advice: "don't brush so hard." The time I saw him before that he said I had a buildup of plaque and needed to brush more aggressively

Has anyone had experience with this?

I had exactly the same!

At about 8yrs old dentist "You need to brush harder". At about 16yrs old dentist "You have ruined your gums brushing too hard".

Can only echo the others advice here- electric toothbrush did me good, one with a red light that comes on if you apply too much pressure.

I can't floss for shit with floss but these flosser things:

http://www.dentek.com/product-categories...roducts-8/

did me quite a bit of good too. Teeth definitely whiter and gums a bit better after sustained use.

Post: #16

I started drinking kefir daily, and my gums seem to bleed less or not at all now. Poking around Google Scholar, I see there is some support for probiotics promoting periodontal (gum) health. http://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=prob..._sdt=0%2C5

Try incorporating multiple servings of probiotics like homemade kefir and sauerkraut into your diet daily. It's very possible a healthy gut will help you obtain a healthy mouth. Just cut down on food that aids the growth of bad bacteria, i.e. sugar.

Post: #17

Go on amazon, and get one of these. Don't question it, just trust me. Use it every morning and every night. Just do it.



http://www.amazon.com/Waterpik-WP-900-Fl...rpik+combo

Post: #18

This thread may help.

/thread-22744.html

Post: #19

Pro tip from my oral hygienist:

You may want to try using a rubber tip. Should set you back $5.

The softest toothbrush you can get your hands on, rubber tip, and floss.

Hold it for 4 full seconds between each tooth, on both sides, in the start.

The pressure (e.g. direct massage) oxygenates the tissue, making it the environment averse to bacteria buildup.

Post: #20

Your teeth just need a higher employment rate and lower taxes to encourage private sector development.

Post: #21

You should brush your upper row with down strokes only (no up strokes to push back gum), and bottom row with up strokes. Basically like trying to spread gums over your teeth. But with gentle touch, and with great detail, to avoid skipping areas.

Buy soft or super soft brush, and you can get special tooth paste in pharmacy, kind used for paradontosis, i don't think brand i used to buy here is available in the US.

Recovery of gum area is slow, but this kind of teeth brushing should become a life-time habit, so results should be seen rather soon.

Post: #22

Cut out milk and sugar.

Post: #23

That water floss thing mentioned above...and an electronic toothbrush.
1) teeth will feel unbelievably clean er' time you brush
2) no pressure, just the rotating brush is what works

Post: #24

(03-27-2014 11:33 AM)Norset Wrote:  Pro tip from my oral hygienist:

You may want to try using a rubber tip. Should set you back $5.

The softest toothbrush you can get your hands on, rubber tip, and floss.

Hold it for 4 full seconds between each tooth, on both sides, in the start.

The pressure (e.g. direct massage) oxygenates the tissue, making it the environment averse to bacteria buildup.

Excellent post, seconded.

Also, this is a great super-soft toothbrush:

http://www.amazon.com/Dr-Collins-Perio-T...lins+perio

Post: #25

Natural medicine practitioners recommend white oak bark. I bought some powdered from the herb store and packed it between my gums and cheeks while I slept. It did appear to make the gum come back into place a little.