anybody know about gum disease?

[Semidevil]

Just last week, I started getting some "canker sores' on the bottom of the 3 front teeth. As the week went by, I guess all the canker sores are gone, but there is still a little bit of swelling on the gum.

I read around online and it states that it could be gingivitis, or even worse, Periodontitis.

anybody had any of these gum diseases before? even though both are bad, it seems that gingivitis is reverserable, but if you have periodontitis, Your pretty much screwed. some pictuers online show really nasty mouths and it is kind of freaking me out. Ill make an appointment after the weekend, but as of now, there is not much I can do but get information.

First of all, is periodontitis really as bad/nasty as it looks? some sites even states that it happens to men in their 30s to 40s. I'm only 24. what are the chances of a young person having such a severe gum disease?

and for those who had either of the gum problems, how was the treatment?

 

[SmoochyTX]

Originally posted by: Semidevil
Just last week, I started getting some "canker sores' on the bottom of the 3 front teeth. As the week went by, I guess all the canker sores are gone, but there is still a little bit of swelling on the gum.

I read around online and it states that it could be gingivitis, or even worse, Periodontitis.

anybody had any of these gum diseases before? even though both are bad, it seems that gingivitis is reverserable, but if you have periodontitis, Your pretty much screwed. some pictuers online show really nasty mouths and it is kind of freaking me out. Ill make an appointment after the weekend, but as of now, there is not much I can do but get information.

First of all, is periodontitis really as bad/nasty as it looks? some sites even states that it happens to men in their 30s to 40s. I'm only 24. what are the chances of a young person having such a severe gum disease?

and for those who had either of the gum problems, how was the treatment?

What did your dentist say? Oh wait....

 

[OS]

i have mild/moderate gum loss/gum disease, I'm 28 so it does happen.

However, i don't have symptoms like yours, in fact i didn't have any symptoms until suddenly when i was through my mid 20s my dentist mentioned i have bone loss from gum disease after looking at my xrays. At first I was like yeah whatever, everyone has it, but it was still progressing after another year or two so i have to be more careful now.

There really isn't much treatment for mild gum disease besides hygiene. Keep in mind this does not necessarily mean you are not brushing enough, I always brushed twice a day everyday. I was later told i need to use a dental pick and gently remove the white crap from the gum lines, floss thoroughly and use specifically listerine. Serious gum disease you need grafts and bone reconstruction or something.

Like said here though, you should talk to your dentist and do some google searches.

 

[dennilfloss]

Didn't Bazooka Joe die of gum disease?

 

[gururu2]

mouthwash is huge

use it after brushing before sleep
use it in the morning (i dont brush in the morning)

i use Crest, but I'm sure any brand is good.

 

[eelw]

How much bleeding do you get when brushing? And gingivitis can't develop into Periodontitis disease that quickly. It takes months/years.

 

[chusteczka]

I expect that you would spit out a lot of blood if you were to floss your teeth. Flossing your teeth is important and the dentist will always tell you to do it but they rarely explain why it is important to floss your teeth. Flossing removes the food from the crevices between the teeth. This food allows the growth of bacteria, which weakens the gum. Additionally, this bacterial growth causes bad breath.

Floss your teeth and then rinse with Listerene, as OS mentioned above, when the swelling subsides three days later, floss again. Eventually try to work your way into a routine where you brush and floss each evening before going to bed. Your mouth will contain less bacteria, your gums will grow stronger and healthier, and your breath will improve.

When flossing, do not pull the string back and forth. Move the floss up and down to gently scrape the side of the tooth. Push the floss down into your gum. The farther you can push the floss down into your gum, the weaker your gum is.

When flossing, you may feel a little pain along the bottom edge of the tooth. This is often caused by brushing too hard in a back and forth motion that eventually wears away the tooth enamel along the gumline. It is important to brush gently in an up and down motion, not back and forth (in/out).

 

[Fritzo]

You can cure most gum ailments by doing the following:

1) Get a GOOD electric toothbrush. I highly recommend Sonicare. This toothbrush will tear your gums up for the first few days of use---what's happening is it's getting rid of the dead/diseased tissue that shouldn't be there in the first place (think of it like pruning a tree). Use this twice per day, one in the moring, and once before you go to bed (this is the most important time to brush).

2) Floss every morning. Again, you're going to see blood for the first week or two.

3) Swish with Listerine for at least 30 seconds every morning. This stuff is a miricle drug for nearly any mouth problem. Swish it hard to force it between your teeth. It removes plaque, breaks down tartar, and kills bacteria below the gum line.

You should be fixed up within a week.

 

[Semidevil]

Originally posted by: eelw
How much bleeding do you get when brushing? And gingivitis can't develop into Periodontitis disease that quickly. It takes months/years.

the thing is that I do not bleed when I brush, thats why I was a bit confused.

but as long as it's not going to be perio, then I guess I'll be somewhat relieved. I'll check with the dentist to make sure.

 

[chusteczka]

I do not like electric toothbrushes for three reasons.

1) The increased brushing action may remove enamel at a faster rate than manually brushing.

2) Electric toothbrushes may cause a respiratory infection. If the bristles spin fast enough, they may create bubbles. These bubbles allow the bacteria in the mouth to become airborne. If these bubbles are inhaled while breathing, they may introduce bacteria into the lungs that may cause a respiratory infection. This result certainly has a low probability of occurrence.

3) The price difference between a $3 manual toothbrush and an electric toothbrush is too large.

 

[Fritzo]

Originally posted by: chusteczka
I do not like electric toothbrushes for three reasons.

1) The increased brushing action may remove enamel at a faster rate than manually brushing.

2) Electric toothbrushes may cause a respiratory infection. If the bristles spin fast enough, they may create bubbles. These bubbles allow the bacteria in the mouth to become airborne. If these bubbles are inhaled while breathing, they may introduce bacteria into the lungs that may cause a respiratory infection. This result certainly has a low probability of occurrence.

3) The price difference between a $3 manual toothbrush and an electric toothbrush is too large.

1) Sonicare toothrbushes to not work like old fashioned rotary brushes. They're recommended by the ADA and even sold in dentists offices. Check here for info:
http://www.sonicare.com/

2) The chances of getting a respiratory infection from an electric toothbrush is on par with being struck by lightning. The fact that your mouth is in such bad shape now is a much greater risk to your health than some goofy 1/1000000 chance event.

3) You can spend $59 on a Sonicare toothbrush, then not have to pay $800 to the dentist per year. You're obviously using a normal toothbrush right now and it's not being effective.