[roastedpeanut]

Has anyone experienced their gums hurting on a daily basis? Mine have gotten better, but they were very puffy a few days ago. I just had my teeth cleaned about two weeks ago... and I have been flossing at least once a day as I know how important it is. I finally got my electric toothbrush out, which helped tremendously.

[Evermont]

Next time you're at the dentist ask then to check your pocket depths. Anything over 5 millimeters means it's time to ratchet up your dental hygiene. Periodontal disease is serious enough but you should know that there are strong links between periodontal disease, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.

Flossing regularly and effectively is key as you know, for a tooth brush I highly recommend the Phillips Sonicare line recommended by my hygienist. Also, I had some 6 and 7 millimeter pockets last year and had them treated by my hygienist after DSRP with an antibiotic called Arestin which worked very well for me resolving 3-4 millimeters in some places.

Maybe this isn't an issue for you, I'm posting because I think it's important that all T2's are aware of this. I talk a lot about diet and exercise on this forum but dental hygiene may be just as important, perhaps even more important.

[davef]

Originally Posted by Evermont

Next time you're at the dentist ask then to check your pocket depths. Anything over 5 millimeters means it's time to ratchet up your dental hygiene. Periodontal disease is serious enough but you should know that there are strong links between periodontal disease, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.

<snip>

Maybe this isn't an issue for you, I'm posting because I think it's important that all T2's are aware of this. I talk a lot about diet and exercise on this forum but dental hygiene may be just as important, perhaps even more important.

Thanks for that Keith, I'm one who was not aware of this, seeing my dentist next week for first time since DX so will be sure to mention my DX.

[kgm0612]

Just a side note...........If you're using a mouthwash that has a "whitening agent", that can also cause swollen gums.

Karen

[BrianSCohen]

Keith made a very important point. Periodontal disease goes hand in hand with diabetes. High blood sugars feed the infection in your mouth, and the infection inflames your body elevating your blood sugar.

I am convinced that what sent me over the edge into diabetes several years ago was periodontal disease. I underwent surgery to reduce my pockets and dramatically changed my dental habits. After my surgery, my blood sugar dropped dramatically.

Having your teeth cleaned can aggravate the the condition, and if you have elevated blood sugars, the infection may have flared up. Your gums may be swollen and red and you may find traces of blood when brushing and flossing.

These days, I floss and brush three times a day. At night a use a proxy brush between my teeth and then use an oral irrigator to gently wash out the pockets around my teeth. My periodonal disease is in remission, but I will have to be diligent.

Don't just ignore these warning signs, it could be more serious than you think. Call your dentist, tell them you have diabetes and that you are worried that your gum pain may be periodontal disease that went undetected in your last visit.

[fgummett]

I second that emotion... if you have D you need to take extra special care of your mouth, but I have a strong gag reflex and found mouthwashes hard to take until my dentist suggested the alcohol free variety. I also could never get to grips (literally) with the thin dental floss... luckily they now have ribbon varieties which I find much easier to use.

[roastedpeanut]

morning everyone- My pocket dephs were all fours in the posterior. I normally have threes but because of the diabetes I had the fours. I haven't had any bleeding when flossing or brushing, but I have had gum sensitivity. It's much better now after bringing back out my electric toothbrush. What I found that helped too was using Listerine toothpaste. I think it helped kill more of the bacteria........

[roastedpeanut]

something that everyone may appreciate knowing- whitening mouthwashes and toothpastes do no good. These are all marketing lies- the whitening mouthwashes and toothpastes do not stay on your teeth long enough to have any kind of, "whitening effect." A tray has to be used holding a whitening solution-caramide peroxide. Dark sodas, coffee, and tea darken your teeth as well. If you are worried about your teeth becoming darker- drink through a straw when ever possible. Drinking coffee- try not to get the front teeth. I used to be a dental assistant, so I know a few things about oral health!

[davef]

Originally Posted by Evermont

Next time you're at the dentist ask then to check your pocket depths. Anything over 5 millimeters means it's time to ratchet up your dental hygiene.

Originally Posted by roastedpeanut

I used to be a dental assistant, so I know a few things about oral health!

Don't know how I missed learning about this over the past few months but I did.

Would one of you be so kind as to educate me a bit more, I don't know what is meant by "pocket depth", is it the amount of gum around a tooth

It has only struck me now that when I last saw my dentist (just before DX) she mentioned something about "white lines" inside my mouth, can't remember what the medical term was, but she was supposed to refer me to the Dental Hospital and it's only now that I realise that I never heard from either my dentist or the hospital. I know "white lines" is not much to go on, but anybody know what it might have been?

I have what I'm told are good teeth (discolored due to an antibiotic either when I was a baby or my mother was pregnant, can't remember which) but I feel getting to 42 with all my own teeth and only 4 fillings.

[Janlaton]

I agree with all of the above. WHen drinking water I try to ocassionally swish it around in my mouth to help keep my teeth free of food particles during the day. Also, be careful if you eat popcorn not to let the hulls stay between the teeth or get down in the gums around your teeth. This can cause a very painful swelling and sometimes you actually have to have a dental visit to have them removed if they get down deep enough in the gums!

[sugardumplin]

Since I started using Dr. Tichenors antiseptic to rinse my mouth everynight before I go to bed, I have been cavity free. I have had cavities all my life. My dentist commented on how nice and pink my gums are. I have to give the credit to this mouthwash.

Warning- It's very concentrated. you have to dilute it. It's very minty and leaves ur breath and mouth feeling super clean.

I feel like a commercial here.

[patricia52]

Just had problems with a abcess/root canal on tooth with no cavity. Had problems after the root canal. Dentist recommended taking ibuprofen for inflamation (not sure of the spelling) along with an antibiotic. It is better. He will be able to crown the tooth and save it.

[roastedpeanut]

[quote=davef;335760]Don't know how I missed learning about this over the past few months but I did.

Would one of you be so kind as to educate me a bit more, I don't know what is meant by "pocket depth", is it the amount of gum around a tooth

Dave-
Pocket Depth is the amount of attached gum tissue around a tooth. A healthy pocket is 3mm. However, it is the depth that is the key word here. A Pocket Depth is measured by using a probe that has mm marks on it. A 4mm pocket means something is going on- not flossing enough for sure- it is also known as having mild gingingivitis, which is pretty common. It is inflammation of the gums that are red and swollen. Healthy gums should be pink-not red. At 5mm, bone loss can occur. Calculus (harded plaque) causes the gums to reced, thus increasing pocket depth. It takes plaque 24-48 hours to form. Once it is formed, you cannot remove it by brushing. It has to be removed with a scaler. This is why it is crucial to floss every day. It is also important to use a soft toothbrush. It takes very little pressure to remove plaque, and if you brush too hard you can also cause your gums to receed, which will lead to tooth sensitivity.

To help everyone have a better understanding of how important flossing is... There is no other way to clean the sides of your teeth-also known as contacts, without flossing. FLOSS is your tooth brush for cleaning the sides of your teeth. If you brush but never floss, you're only getting the front and back of your teeth clean. Would you only clean your car on the front and back but not on the sides? Sounds weird to me. Of course you would want to clean the sides of your car too- you want your entire car to be clean- same with your teeth. I would tell patients that if they weren't going to floss, they should skip brushing too. Brushing is half of the job of cleaning your mouth; the other half- is flossing. They go hand and hand. There is also a proper way of flossing. You want to carefully slide the floss inbetween your teeth being careful not to cut the pointed interdental papilla- that little pointed piece of tissue, which tries to keep food and debris from entering inbetween the teeth. The idea is once the floss is in place- form a C with the floss and rub it inbetween the the contacts, as well as, upward or downward- depending where your flossing- under the gums into the free gingival pocket. The key here is to rub your tooth with the floss. You don't want to just snap the floss in and out. After rubbing one side of the tooth, move over and do the other side. I always floss my second molars- behind (don't have wisdom teeth anymore) even though there is no tooth behind them- there is still a place for plaque to hide- so it's just as important to wrap the floss around them and go up or down into the pocket.

I hope I answered your question Dave. There is a lot of information on the internet about gum disease. Your dental hygienist can help educate you as well. That is one of their main jobs, so ask lots of questions at your next appointment!

Oh- the rings around your teeth sound like tetracycline stain. My husband has this too. Bleaching/whitening is sometimes the first step. It may not get all of the stainning out- depends on how bad it is- but even if it doesn't get it all out- it helps in the appearance of a more natural looking crown/cap (porcelin-used for front teeth), which is the second step in restoring your smile. If you opt to have your teeth whitened by a laser,(in office whitening) you will most likely suffer from sensitivity, which they will make you trays to wear using a material: potasium nitrate. The trays are important to have anyways for touch ups later on, which would be done by whitening at home. If you opt to just do the at home whitening, it will take longer, but tooth sensitivity is normally not an issue. Most the time though, tetracycline stain is so servere that using a laser is the best way to go. It also provides immediate results, which is always rewarding! Every dentist varies in what they charge. Some can be $500 or more higher than another. The material doesn't cost that much- they charge what they want because they know it's cosmetic and people will pay whatever for it. Crowns/Caps are the same. You can find a big gap in price from one dentist to another. Sometimes though, the crown is made of cheap materials, so beware if the cost if too low..... or even if it's a lot- hopefully your dentist is ethical and honest with you about what material your crown/cap is made up of.

Anyways, I hope I have instilled an urgency for those of you that never flossed or flossed only when something was caught inbetween your teeth. Flossing is JUST as important as brushing. For us diabetics, it is entirely crucial.

[barbarac]

There is a mouth rinse the girl cleaning my husband's teeth recommended. It is called Peroxyl (Antiseptic Oral Cleanser by Colgate). White bottle with blue label--found it at Walgreens, but everyone may have it. It seems to be doing a good job on helping keep down swelling. My gums seem to get sore when sugars are out of whack--which is most of the time. It sort of foams up.

While here I will mention one other find. Was having trouble with eyes being dry. Talked to eye Dr. and he said it sounds more like allergies. Tried drops called Zadicor (think I spelled that right)--OTC--sort of expensive, but they worked wonders. Redness and itchiness gone, sandy feeling gone. Worth every penny.

[roastedpeanut]

One more thing Dave- next week after you have your teeth cleaned- that is your new beginning. You'll want to floss everyday so that the plaque doesn't form into calculus. If your able to do so, floss in the morning and at night.... actually after lunch too. The more you floss, the healther your gums will be. When you floss- you stimulate the interdental papilla- increasing blood flow around the little guy, which keeps him/her nice and pointy- pointy and pink means he/she is healthy! People who have gingivitus and periodontal disease have papillas that are rounded and red (inflamed)- not healthy!! I can look at someones gums and tell how good their home care is.........so can your hygienist - so never lie to them- they know if you've been flossing or not! It's pretty effident!