Receding Gums

[MyUsernameHere]

I have problems with bleeding gums unless I eat...guess what, Bell peppers. At first I thought it was the Vitamin C content, but even with a Vitamin C capsule and lots of fruit, unless I eat bell peppers, my gums start to bleed. Peat has mentioned that this is probably due to bacteria or endotoxin, and I think he's right, because here's what I found about bell peppers:

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10942912.2010.509896#.Uj63wBBVhkg
http://www.researchgate.net/publica...gainst_Escherichia_coli_O157H7_in_Ground_Beef

There is evidence toward anti-bacterial activiy of bell peppers, and is probably the reason why my gum bleeding -completely- stops when I eat them. I am wondering if I could substitute coconut oil or something as bell peppers are mostly unavailable during winter.

 

[lovelife]

Xylitol is a sugar alcohol and is very sweet without providing any fuel, it's lying to your body. It's not better than artificial sweeteners in that regard.

Valid point. But, I'm not suggesting using it to replace all sugar or anything like that. My suggestion is to consume 2 tsp a day specifically to heal, build up, and become cavity resistant. It's not about the flavor or a stance against sugar at all. It is just an easy and healthy way to not only kill most bacteria in your mouth, but over time it makes your mouth almost completely uninhabitable for the bacteria. :)

 

[Dan W]

lovelife, I noticed you mentioned swallowing the xylitol instead of only rinsing with it. Is that for convenience, or do you know of some additional benefit of ingesting it?

 

[lovelife]

Dan: Honestly, I'm not sure if it's necessary. I think all the studies on it have been by ingesting it.. though to be fair, a lot is with people using gum or mints. I personally just use the granulated because it's cheaper for the amount you need to use per day. But you don't swallow gum though you would swallow a lot from the spit mixing with it. I think if I was to spit it out I would leave it in my mouth for awhile swishing it longer just to make sure it was on them long enough.. but I'm not sure it would make much difference spitting vs swallowing.

Personally, I use it like people would use a mint. After I eat something, especially if it doesn't end with something teeth building like cheese or is very acidic like juice, then I just put some in my mouth and swish for a bit then swallow. I don't replace my sugar with it or anything.. I just use it to restore the ph to my mouth right away and help my teeth at the same time. :)

 

[Dan W]

Thanks lovelife. I do much the same, and have had good results, but I usually avoid ingesting it. I hadn't even considered the possibility of internal benefits.

 

[Shredder2]

I have problems with bleeding gums unless I eat...guess what, Bell peppers. At first I thought it was the Vitamin C content, but even with a Vitamin C capsule and lots of fruit, unless I eat bell peppers, my gums start to bleed. Peat has mentioned that this is probably due to bacteria or endotoxin, and I think he's right, because here's what I found about bell peppers:

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10942912.2010.509896#.Uj63wBBVhkg
http://www.researchgate.net/publica...gainst_Escherichia_coli_O157H7_in_Ground_Beef

There is evidence toward anti-bacterial activiy of bell peppers, and is probably the reason why my gum bleeding -completely- stops when I eat them. I am wondering if I could substitute coconut oil or something as bell peppers are mostly unavailable during winter.

Do you eat the Bell peppers raw or cooked?

Bleeding gums seems to be a problem for many people who have a history of restrictive diets such as zero carb, veganism (source: years of reading internet forums).

 

[gretchen]

I have a sore gum. It's not as bad today. I feel bad about it. I hope it clears up.

 

[MyUsernameHere]

Do you eat the Bell peppers raw or cooked?

Bleeding gums seems to be a problem for many people who have a history of restrictive diets such as zero carb, veganism (source: years of reading internet forums).

Raw. I think that a big cause of bleeding gums is bacteria. People from a background like what you mention would tend to be hypothyroid which makes bacterial infections a lot more likely.

 

[Shredder2]

Raw. I think that a big cause of bleeding gums is bacteria. People from a background like what you mention would tend to be hypothyroid which makes bacterial infections a lot more likely.

Perhaps taking a shot of vinegar with meals could also help then? People on the internet say that applie cider vinegar helps their dental health. Ever tried that?

 

[Jib]

My gums are receding pretty badly. I did hear that there's an alternative to grafting skin from the roof of your mouth to fix it: they can apparently draw blood and use your platelets to make a gel/culture thing that they can put on your gums, and it encourages the gum tissue to grow around it. I would much rather have that done, although I'd much rather heal my receding gums and not have to worry about any of that.

I've been using virgin coconut oil for oil pulling in the morning. I've been using magnesium oil sprayed onto a toothbrush to brush my teeth with for probably 3 years now. I didn't do it for any specific reason other than thinking magnesium would be good for my teeth and also wanting to avoid fluoride and the annoying taste that regular toothpaste leaves in my mouth that interferes with eating/drinking.

I floss once a day, use rubber tipped toothpicks (G.U.M brand) throughout the day sometimes, and brush once or twice a day with the magnesium oil. I also use a metal tongue scraper in the morning and night or whenever I feel like I need it. Flossing regularly more or less completely got rid of the bleeding in my gums. I find that it starts to come back when I stop flossing for a while.

I think vitamin K2 was a good addition to my supplement regimen. I've been taking 5mg a day.

I'm seriously considering trying the xylitol out. That sounds like a very good idea.

I do think the oil pulling can go a long way in balancing the bacteria in the mouth, and though I stopped oil pulling for a very long time, starting it back up again I'm reminded of how much cleaner it makes my mouth feel. Nothing kills the feeling of "morning mouth" better than oil pulling with virgin coconut oil in my experience.

I've gotten into the habit of trying to end my meals with a piece of cheese, especially if I've had orange juice. Though a lot of times I mix baking soda into my orange juice and that takes care of any potential problems with the acidity.

 

[charlie]

Jib, do you take thyroid?

 

[HDD]

"Animal studies show that estrogen stunts growth, including bone growth. The high estrogen levels in girls' teen years and early twenties accounts for the fact that women's bones are lighter than men's. In rat studies, treatment with estrogen was found to enlarge the space between the jawbone and the teeth, which is a factor in periodontal disease (Elzay, 1964). Teeth are very similar to bones, so it's interesting that treating male or female rats with estrogen increases their incidence of tooth decay, and removing their gonads was found to decrease the incidence (Muhler and Shafer, 1952). Supplementing them with thyroid hormone decreased the incidence of cavities in both males and females (Bixler, et al., 1957)."
http://raypeat.com/articles/articles/os ... ging.shtml


I made a toothpaste using xylitol and calcium that I like. When my teeth recently became very sensitive, I could not brush with the toothpaste at all. Besides estrogen, endotoxins are a factor. Eating the carrot salad could be helpful. I think the water pic or something similar is very beneficial for the gums.

I have started chewing gum with xylitol, too.

Edit: I am also taking thyroid and vitamin K.

 

[jyb]

Did you try progest-E? Never seen it advised specifically for gums but it is a repair hormone and it is well absorbed through gums.

If you are brushing your teeth with toothpaste, note that you are getting fluoride and other things that might be preventing repair.

 

[Jib]

Jib, do you take thyroid?

Yep. American Biologics thyroid glandular. Just went up to 3 grains a day.

 

[charlie]

Jib, do you take thyroid?

Yep. American Biologics thyroid glandular. Just went up to 3 grains a day.

Does it seem to be helping?

 

[Mittir]

I read that thyroid supplement makers are required to remove
Thyroxine (T4)from the glandular product to sell it as food supplement.
Otherwise, people would need prescription to buy that.
There is no mention of T4 and T3 content on the label.

 

[Jib]

Jib, do you take thyroid?

Yep. American Biologics thyroid glandular. Just went up to 3 grains a day.

Does it seem to be helping?

My temperatures are still stuck in the high 96's - low 97's despite having a Peat inspired diet and lifestyle for over a year, eating plenty of calories, and putting on close to 40 pounds.

I do feel better, though. A little. It's hard to tell because I have a history of mental illness and I'm used to feeling absolutely horrible 24/7. I might be taking my newfound stability and resistance to stress for granted. I did things this past year like go to a party where I knew absolutely no one, organized some social events with a few people and even got the courage to kind of ask a girl on a date even though she never got back to me!

Which is REALLY huge for me. So I have actually noticed a pretty marked increase in my ability to handle stress despite my temperatures still being low. Recently I've gotten back into strength training too (bodyweight exercises), which is a good sign to me. I just felt too tired before.

I'm going to try getting the rest of amalgams replaced (I have 5 left, have already had 3 replaced) and see if that helps.

 

[TeslaFan]

I have discovered oral irrigator to be very effective for healing my gums. In fact, the day following the first usage, my gums were already less red. Now, after a week they look healthy bright pink and don't bleed.

I have very crowded lower teeth, and I floss every day. If I miss a day or two of flossing, I get bleeding gums the next day I floss. For me, however, oral irrigation is more effective than flossing. I assume this is because water pressure can clean up gums all around a tooth, versus floss does it only between teeth.

 

[tomisonbottom]

I have discovered oral irrigator to be very effective for healing my gums. In fact, the day following the first usage, my gums were already less red. Now, after a week they look healthy bright pink and don't bleed.

I have very crowded lower teeth, and I floss every day. If I miss a day or two of flossing, I get bleeding gums the next day I floss. For me, however, oral irrigation is more effective than flossing. I assume this is because water pressure can clean up gums all around a tooth, versus floss does it only between teeth.

Were your gums ever a grey color?
Mine used to be pink and are looking a very dull pale pink/ almost grey color.
I don't know what's causing it.
I've wondering if its the activated charcoal I'm using to brush my teeth, or maybe I'm not cleaning my teeth well enough.
Anyone have any ideas?

 

[tara]

I have discovered oral irrigator to be very effective for healing my gums. In fact, the day following the first usage, my gums were already less red. Now, after a week they look healthy bright pink and don't bleed.

I have very crowded lower teeth, and I floss every day. If I miss a day or two of flossing, I get bleeding gums the next day I floss. For me, however, oral irrigation is more effective than flossing. I assume this is because water pressure can clean up gums all around a tooth, versus floss does it only between teeth.

Were your gums ever a grey color?
Mine used to be pink and are looking a very dull pale pink/ almost grey color.
I don't know what's causing it.
I've wondering if its the activated charcoal I'm using to brush my teeth, or maybe I'm not cleaning my teeth well enough.
Anyone have any ideas?

I think gums should be pink. I don't think activated charcoal can make them grey. I sometimes brush with it, and if I brush and rinse thoroughly it all washes away. How are your lungs, breathing, heart and circulation?