On April 6, 2010 my dentist declared I had gum disease pockets, one 7mm deep and fourteen 6mm deep. On December 10, 2012, my dentist told me I had "no problems" and gave me only a regular cleaning, not a periodontal cleaning. In the 32 months between those two visits, I used no floss and little toothpaste, but I did faithfully sleep every night with teeth cleaned by sonic brushing and Waterpik irrigation.
On that April 6, I knew I had to do something serious. I knew that floss and I do not get along. My teeth are crooked and tight. Floss breaks. And it hurts my fingers. I had also been looking for a reason to fast a bit longer than 2 or 3 days.
So that day I bought a Waterpik irrigator and a Philips Sonicare toothbrush (plus some other items I didn't end up using much in the long run such as Stimudents, GUM brand plastic plaque brushes, and povidone iodine) and began preparations for what turned out to be a 12-day water fast. And since that day I have followed nearly 100% faithfully the following daily program.
1. Swish after all snacks with small quantities of plain water.
2. Fast nightly on water alone for 12 hours and occasionally up to 24 hours.
3. Clean teeth before each night's fast with at least 2 minutes of sonic brushing (no toothpaste, but occasional germicide like Listerine or hydrogen peroxide)
4. Clean/irrigate (classic jet or pocket tip) after brushing (plus occasional Listerine or bleach) in the Waterpik on 2 to 3 power.
5. Rinse with germicide (Listerine or hydrogen peroxide) usually after irrigating. (2013 update: Note that Listerine is very helpful, but there are probably cheaper and better things to use on your teeth. See comments below.)
To accomplish the above, I had to slow down my life. I had to get a water bottle and keep it at my side nearly always. I had to learn to detect and dislike the feeling of dirty teeth.
About the Waterpik. There's also the possibility of flossing. But I can't conceive how dental floss could ever clean and disinfect as
well as an irrigator (classic jet or pocket tip). Flossing is a drag, and irrigating is a blast (hmm, quite literally, actually). Flossing: painful, limited, gross. Irrigation: refreshing, penetrating, disinfecting, cool. And the price of the irrigator is trivial
compared to the cost of dental problems. I am a total advocate now for having an oral irrigator in every home. How do you irrigate with more than one tank full of water? Put the Waterpik without its lid in the sink under the spigot and run the water at a trickle while you irrigate.
Along the way, I had the constant reward of a clean and fresh feeling body and mouth every morning and cleaner smelling breath without perfumes.
My way isn't the only way to beat gum disease, I'm sure. Some promote brushing thrice daily, oil pulling, frequent professional cleanings, etc. But to be totally frank, I think my way was a lot more simple and fun.
104 comments:
Tom
Good info on beating periodontal disease. I just have a few comments as a fellow sufferer of perio issues. Toothpaste is not so much an issue but what is inside it. If you buy a "holistic" type without fluoride and SLS, and artificial colors and flavors you should be fine. Baking soda based is good because its a good and safe dentrifice. Listerine though a good germ killer is very hard on your gums due to the alcohol base. I would avoid. There are better holistic brands of mouthwash that contain essential oils, herbs, aloe vera etc that should be far safer to use on a regular bases. Totally agree with sonic toothbrush and oral irrigation. Best of fortune to you.
I totally agree. I'm not down on toothpaste. It's simply the case that I haven't been using it at all because it's messy in combination with a sonic brush. But I agree with your conclusions. About Listerine too. Thanks for contributing to the conversation. This is important stuff to be sharing with each other.
Hi there Thomas! My names is Anne. I just read your blogs on gum recession 2 days ago. I have same case as yours.. I bought a water pik and a sonic care toothbrush too.. Thank you for all the information. You are a great help! I hope I can reverse my gum disease like you did.. I am getting scared each day.. but I am eager to do a religious homecare therapy like what you did...
Hi, Anne.
I'm thinking habitual water swishing/rinsing/sipping is key also, and so very good for your general health. Don't forget to keep your water cup at your side.
As goes the morning breath, so goes the dental exam.
:-)
yea I started doing water fasting like what you did along with the water pik and sonic tootbrush use. How long do u think should I go back to the dentist and have my gums rechecked again? I hope I would have made an improvement whenever that time is..
Anne, I discovered that when I became amazed at my awesome pink gums, my clean morning breath, and my gum regrowth lumps, my next dentist visit was clean! The *only* reason I would go to the dentist would be 1) for motivation and 2) for a copy of your periodontal exam sheet to guide your home care focus. For 2, maybe you can phone your dentist to request the sheet. Does that sound good to you?
Tom
Umm, Anne, *only* may be extreme. I still plan to visit the dentist every 6 to 12 months for their nice cleanings.
Thanks Tom, I started with the water fasting yesterday but I have a main concern coz I am taking antidepressant medication which is paxil. I am just wondering if that will make my fasting useless. I really hope I can reverse this gum disease like you did. I have exactly same probe readings like you did.
I don't know much about medications. I wouldn't be able to guess what might happen. If I had a doctor who had given me medicine I had accepted, I might want to ask the doctor about what to do with the medication when fasting or whether it's possible to stop the medication during the fast.
Anne, Here's something from somebody more experienced than I specifically with medications and fasting. http://curezone.com/forums/fm.asp?i=1343707
Hi Thomas! My medication have a dry mouth side effect. I don't have it but I researched and there are mouthwashes like biotene for dry mouth in case I get that side effect. Sometimes you can't just stop some medications suddenly as it worsens your current condition. Here's the good news! It's just a week that I use the waterpik and sonic brush and I have noticed my gums is getting pink and healthy.. the gum swelling is not visible like before and I have no gum bleeding anymore. I am happy about it.. I religiously brush and irrigate my teeth every after meal(twice a day).After each meal I swish like u said. I drink lots of alkaline water each day. I hope next time I get checked, there's an improvement. Thank you so much Tom! You are really a huge help!! :)
Very cool, Anne. It sounds like you are on your way to healing. I'd forget about the long fasting for a while if it isn't going to work for you. I'd just focus on the "almost always clean" teeth via swishing and nightly brush/irrigate/germicide or biotene/fast. It sounds like that's working perfect for you.
Just a question...was your periodontal cleaning also called a root scaling and planing? I'm debating if I need that or if I can get good results without it. Thanks
I don't know if it's a regional thing or what, but no dentist around here (Arizona) has ever mentioned to me root scaling and planing. All I know is I had 7mm pockets.
Thomas, do you take any vitamins to help in an way??
Sergio, I do sometimes take a multi-vitamin. I do believe that general health is important, but I focus more on eating fresh fruits and vegetables and getting enough water and sleep.
What do you remcommend as toothpaste to brush my teeth?
Thomas, do you rinse with water after using hydrogen peroxide on step 5?
Sergio, I do not. I spit a few times and leave the hydrogen peroxide fizzing on my teeth.
That won't cause more harm? sorry so many questions, I just want to get this gum recession healed for good
I am very interested to hear possible reasons why it may do harm. I don't know for sure about this.
I think that if you focus on the Big Things of 1) cleaning your teeth very well (including WaterPik) without fail before a good nightly fast and 2) rinsing with water after eating, you will see healing, assuming you are doing all the normal things like sleeping enough; eating fresh, wholesome food (vs. stored flour, oil, and sugar); and staying grateful and positive about life and people.
What kind of peroxide do you use? And how much of it? Also during the morning what steps do you follow?
I really have faith in this and hopefully I can beat this gum recession, thank you for giving me hope Thomas
Sergio, for the 3 years it took to completely heal the gum disease, the only things I did in the morning were
1) to smell my breath to evaluate the effectiveness of my evening care,
2) to generally eat a bit later (give myself a bit longer fast, even sometimes skipping breakfast) than I had previously been used to doing, and
3) to keep swishing like crazy with water.
Did you brush in the morning? or use the waterpick?
No. Not with any significant frequency. Just water rinsing other than the nightly deep cleaning.
Sometimes in the morning I think I may have used hydrogen peroxide. But normally if my routine was good, I used only water rinsing in addition to the nightly deep cleaning.
Can you explain to me how you would rinse with hydrogen peroxide please, like how much you would put in your mouth and what brand
Initially I had a hydrogen peroxide based mouthwash I bought at the 99 Only store. Then I started using plain hydrogen peroxide with no particular branding. I put just a little squirt (maybe 5 to 15 ml or so) in my mouth, just barely enough to swish with. I swish until it's pure foam, and then I keep swishing for a minute or mouth, sometimes as I walk around the house. Then I spit out several times. I then go to bed directly or leave my mouth unrinsed until I have another drink of water.
Thank you Tom, you are inspiring.
My dentist said I have truamatic biting--a kind of gum disease--that has caused my gum to recede. I feel it is more than that, it might have to do with the stress and how quickly I lose temper. I'll follow your method of cleaning and be grateful for life.
Thanks Tom, you are so inspiring!
What do you think of gum recession due to traumic bite ? That was my doctor said about my gum recession. I think it must have to do with stress.
Min Zhang, I think you may have an important insight. As I began to practice periodic stopping and other practices intended to increase my awareness, one thing I noticed was that my teeth were often clenched. Now after practicing awareness for a few years, I notice that the normal position of my jaw is slightly ajar with my teeth not even touching and my tongue resting in the gap. Such a change might indeed relieve your traumatic malocclusion.
Hey tom, what brand is your waterpik?
It's a WaterPik brand. Just the first thing I found at the store.
Sergio, I'm not sure about toothpaste. I didn't use any. I suppose.
So don't use toothpaste at all?
I didn't use any toothpaste in the period when I reversed my gum disease, because it was very messy with my sonic toothbrush, and my dentists had told me it wasn't necessary. I still do not use toothpaste.
Okay thank you for telling me, now I have a question. do you think the hydrogen peroxide will have an affect if I have a cavity filling that is silver? It's on one of my molars and its right in the middle, not my whole tooth
Hmm. It may be a good idea to try a different germicide. Did you see the full list? See number 4 at this post
where can I get a hold of the grapeseed extract? Might use that instead of hydrogen peroxide just to be on the safe side
I haven't tried that. You may have to buy it online.
What do you think of a natural germicide mouthwash? Do you think it will be effective?
I think there are a wide variety of effective germicides. I also think that there may be a benefit to occasionally changing germicides. I also give a lot of credence to the Periodontal Treatment Guidelines I linked in my other post. I occasionally use weak bleach (5 ml of common 6% bleach in 500 ml water) in my WaterPik (that is what I am using this week). I occasionally use hydrogen peroxide. I ocassionally use nothing. I have also tried povidone iodine. I haven't tried grapefruit extract, but I hear it is very effective.
Actually, I probably am using weaker than 5 ml of 6% in 500 ml (1 tsp in 1 pint). Maybe half that strength. Many grocery store bleaches are a bit less than 6% strength. If you use bleach, you will be able to feel whether it's too strong or too weak. Be careful! Bleach is dangerous stuff.
Hey its sergio, so would using hydrogen peroxide every night be too much? Dangerous?
I don't think it's a problem. For weeks at a time I have rinsed with straight grocery store hydrogen peroxide right before lying down every night.
its sergio, Just started last night with the water pik and hydrogen peroxide in it and swishing after with hydrogen peroxide, hopefully everything goes well
That's great. As long as you are faithful and do it before your nightly fast, it should do the trick.
Hey Tom,
Thanks for this blog.
I'm writing cause I'm pretty horrified of losing my teeth ESPECIALLY since I'm less than 20 years old. In 2010 I was diagnosed with severe gingivitis (Juvenile) and have since been really watching my dental/oral hygiene.
Recently, I've noticed gaps between my front bottom teeth indicating that it has progressed to periodontal disease despite my good quality of care for my teeth leaving me to conclude that it has something to do with my genetics. (younger brothers are showing signs as well).
With regards to the waterpik, how long did you use it each time? Is it possible that my teeth might fall out while I'm using it? What does the waterpik actually do? Is it pretty much the devices/tools which dentists use to clean off tartar/plaque from gums/teeth?
Sorry for such a long message, I'm just so scared of losing my teeth this young despite my relatively good hygiene and also the fact that these cleans from dentists/periodontists cost a fortune :(
Thanks a lot!
Hi, Adam. First the Waterpik and then some questions/ideas.
The WaterPik is a pulsing jet irrigator that flushes food and bacterial colonies from deep beneath your gums. You know it is effective 1) when you see food falling to the sink after a careful cleaning, 2) when your morning breath smells clean, and 3) when your gums appear healthier. I use mine for about 2 minutes every night, long enough to use just more than the capacity of the reservoir at power level 2.
Your eating habits can make a big difference. You didn't say anything about what you put in your mouth, but it can make all the difference and it can save your teeth.
First, your gums need a lot of clean time daily to heal. You may want to swish after all snacks/meals and start counting the hours your teeth spend clean vs. dirty each day, maybe even keeping a chart, calendar, or notepad. You may want to try developing a taste for pure water and substituting it for all between-meal snacks and drinks. You also may want to look into fasting.
Second, stale foods adhere more tenaciously to your teeth. Stale foods are foods that have been long dead, cooked, or ground including oil, sugar, and packaged flour products. This is not hypothetical or trivial; it is a demonstrated issue with dental/oral health. For the sake of your general health, consider the possibility of more recently live/viable foods, or at least keeping everything but water out of your mouth most of the day. Also, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is not only an inexpensive germicide, but a debriding agent, meaning that it can help fizz away the stale plaque that comes from any oil, sugar, and old flour you eat. Try using it every night after your WaterPik.
Bottom line: WaterPik and H2O2 nightly, Water swish snack/meal cleaning, and prolonged Water Only hours daily.
Thanks for the reply Tom.
Awesome! Yeh I am of asian ethnicity so I constantly eat carbohydrates (rice) etc...
Where could I grab H2O2? From the chemist or something? How much percentage of H2O2? 5%?
If I oil pull at night, shoudl I swish with H2O2 before or after? Or just not swish H2O2 at all?
Adam, I don't think that eating carbohydrates has to be a problem. There is the "good carbs, bad carbs" idea. As long as you aren't drinking sugary drinks and having stale snacks all day, you should be fine. I live on roughly one smoothie, one big (over 1 liter) bowl of a bean/rice dish, and one big bowl of oats with fruit daily. Eating "constantly" could be a problem if you mean that literally, since your teeth, gums, and organs like a rest.
H2O2 is very cheap. You can buy a liter of 3% H2O2 at the grocery store in the mouthwash section for under $1. I'm not sure whether H2O2 or oil pulling last would be best. Try each and let me know what you observe and what you decide.
Awesome thanks so much Tom, I'll get on it soon and get back to you as well.
With regards to the 3% H2O2, do you have to dilute it with water? If so, how much?
Thanks!
The directions on the bottle say to dilute it 1:1 with water. But I just squirt a little straight into my mouth.
By the way, I just read tips another visitor pointed me to on gum disease that points out that hot drinks can also be a failure/damage mechanism, in case that relates to you. Pamper those gums!
How long did it take before you noticed your gums growing back? I haven't been for my cleaning but it freaked me out one day I looking in the mirror and I can SEE my pockets?! AUGH! :-( So crazy, my granny is 87 and she has all of her teeth!?
So I looked up info on gum disease and it said use aloe gel on the gums. I've started it for a week and I can tell they aren't as sensitive but I can't see them growing back yet. I'm going to buy a Waterpik, man I won't be good at fasting but maybe I should try it?
Ariana, it might be good to try to pinpoint more carefully what is causing your gum problems. Maybe there is something amiss in your routine that you could fix. Can you take a careful look at my Top Ten Actions and let me know if anything clicks for you as you read it? Also, readers have reported the most surprising/amazing success with plain water rinsing/swishing.
Hello Thomas,
I have been reading your blog with amazement.
I didn't know it was possible to reverse gum disease (let alone bone regrowth) !!!
Yes, I have also gum disease and in couple of days I need to do deep cleaning at the dentist
(holes of 4 till 6).
This is very frustrating for me, because I always floss and brush my teeth twice a day.
Every evening spending time (10 -20 min) to flush and brush.
At the moment I don't have any confidence to see the dentist for cleaning, because it won't solve the problem.
Also I realised that flossing and brushing teeth is not good enough.
So the water floss could be a game changer and will definitely get one !!
You nightly fast is also something I will start doing, because it sounds very logical and
even efficient. I will eat my last meal between 6-7 and then flush brush my teeth.
The rest of the evening will just drink water.
I also discovered about using salt (sea salt) as mouth wash and also to brush your teeth.
Do you have some experience with this? Brushing with salt seems to be working good, but I have also read it's bad for the teeth itself.
Seems that ancient Chinese were using sea salt to brush their teeth and never had problems.
Anyway, what I also wanted to know is:
is it better to go to the dentist and do deep cleaning or
should I first try your method and in a month or two go to the dentist.
Does you gums first need to be cleaned at the dentist before starting your regime?
Or if your regime works, the gums will heal themselves?
One more thing:
I have problems with my gums all my life , but never had problems with my teeth.
Did had one hole in my teeth couple of years ago, but I suspect it was the mouthwash (it was very strong).
In couple of days I will be 41 and my teeth are in great shape, except my gums.
I am happy I have such a healthy teeth, but if my gums disease is not solved, I will lose the teeth anyway, wouldn't that be ironic to have excellent teeth and still lose them because of the gum disease.
Anyway, you have given me great hope and from now on I am taking matters in my own hands and don't rely on dentists so much any more.
Thank you and God bless you
Erdal, I can't offer any opinion about salt, unfortunately. About the cleaning, I do thing it is a good idea to get a regular periodontal cleaning. What I would avoid is any special oral surgery or root planing. It may be that your dentist is going to give you what amounts to a routine cleaning, but with an extra charge because it is a periodontal cleaning. You may want to check on this and go ahead if that is the case. But if it is something more invasive, you may want to wait 6 months.
I think that the WaterPik, nightly fasting, and post-food rinsing/swishing will make a significant difference for you. Make daily observations of your morning breath and your gums appearance, and I wouldn't be surprised if you get noticeable results before many weeks. Let me know how it goes.
Hi Thomas!
It has occurred to me in the past that saliva is supposed to be very healthy for teeth, and that perhaps swishing them with just saliva could be a really important factor in keeping them clean. But there is probably an issue with swishing saliva for folks whose bodies are out of balance and don't have the proper PH balance that is beneficial for saliva (swallowing more saliva with food, for instance, is good for reducing cancer).
Another interesting concept I had regarding this was comparing teeth to a placenta (though, I know you're not talking about regrowing teeth but healing periodontal disease). So I found out that a placenta has different bumps and dips, and it is the "craters" of the placenta where blood collects on the mother's side of the placenta for the placenta to absorb to be able to transmit to the baby. It occurred to me that teeth are probably the same way - the grooves and pockets of teeth that are often seen as "bad" because they collect plaque and food residues could actually be there in order to collect and hold saliva that SHOULD be nourishing our teeth. Again, it may be that there is an imbalance in the natural chemistry of the saliva that is causing saliva not to do its job, or the fact that people don't salivate as much as they should.
All this to say, have you done any research on saliva swishing? It sounds weird and I haven't done any, but your "water swishing" was the closest I could get to it - of course, I've heard people talk about rinsing with water after eating, so there's no great A Ha! there, the real surprise is just in applying the principle and realizing it can have such a profound affect on oral health.
God bless.
Tabetha
That is a really interesting hypothesis. But I don't know of any research on it. My experience is that it is hard to get enough saliva in the mouth at one time to do the mechanical action required.
Also, I think the tendency of saliva to foam reduces its swishing power compared to clean water.
Hi Tom, when your gum disease was finally cured, did your teeth go back to where they should be? I have a couple of gaps which I never had before and my bite has changed dramatically. I have been following your same routine since July and my mouth is feeling better. Thanks so much for keeping us posted and helping so many people!! :) Marcia
Marcia, I do not know about what you are asking. My teeth never moved. I am sorry to hear that your bite has changed. Maybe this is a good time to get braces! :-D
Hi Thomas
Have you heard of vitamin C therapy for periodontal disease? Which vitamin C to use Sodium ascorbate or calcium ascorbate?
I haven't heard of it, but I know that vitamin C is important for healing wounds. I don't know the answer to your question.
Thank You so much for this inspiring success story Thomas :) do you have any reccomendations of which irrigation flosser to get?
You are very welcome! I have not reviewed irrigators. I am very happy with my WaterPik irrigator.
Great post. To those concerned about putting H2O2 (Hydrogen Peroxide) into their mouths: Hydrogen Peroxide diluted to 3% is safe and is almost always recommended as written for oral debriding on the brown bottle you get at the drug store/supermarket etc. That particular kind does usually have some stabilizers in it so it's not 100% pure H2O2. If you want pure H2O2 you can get food grade probably online or at a health food store, just be sure it's diluted to 3%. I, myself, fill the WaterPik reservoir with equal parts water and 3% food grade H2O2. My breath is never fresher than when I use this combo and it seems that plaque actually dissolves with this method! Hydrogen peroxide is just water and oxygen, two substances critical for life.
Great comments. The debriding quality of H2O2 is pretty cool. That reminds me of a joke:
Two scientists walk into a bar. The first one says, "I'll have a glass of H two Oh." The second one says, "I'll have a glass of H two Oh too." The second one dies.
Ha! That's a good one.
those Sanders comments were not needed. Alot of us are Clinton supporters.
Thanks for the kindness of your comment. I felt that the good of the world was served by having the plea up for a while. I probably will not support Trump or Clinton for president, but I believe the time has come to remove my pleas. Thanks.
I stumbled across this page during an anxiety attack of finding out about my gum disease. Thanks for your transparency and willingness to share. I hope to reverse it also. Did you actually regrow your gums or just halt the process of further damage?
Well, Arriale. That is an interesting question. Look at this Youtube video I posted a few years ago and let me know what you think.
I just went to dentist yesterday and I do have some problematic pockets. I was a smoker for 40 yrs and quit a year ago. Since then I've had the bleeding gums, and the hot-heavy breath. The hygienist recommended what you said (instead of Listerine, she recommended using Betadine as a swish and rinse). She also recommended I take Vitamin C daily and use my WaterPik. Mine is attached to my shower head so I can do it each time I shower. VERY convenient!
Nice blog....Thank you!
Those sound like great ideas. I hope things get better soon.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! You changed my life.
I have had gum disease since probably the 80s. I've had some deep cleanings, but have had a mouthful of deep pockets - between 4 and 7 mm - for decades. My gums have also receded quite a bit, which causes big gaps between the upper parts of my teeth, and food is always getting stuck in them. Even with rigorous dental care, I can only seem to keep things from getting worse for the most part. I go to the dentist every four months because my tartar builds up very quickly.
I had the same dentist for at least a decade, but the practice went out of business so I was on the hunt for a new dentist. Every dental appointment was with a different one until I found one I liked enough to keep going. And each one told me of the perils of gum disease and had all kinds of treatment ideas. After the last one, I wondered if there were any home remedies for such a thing. Early in my research I stumbled upon your blog, and it gave me hope, although I tried not to get my hopes too high.
I immediately changed my dental routine. First, I started brushing immediately after I ate, or if I was watching a movie or something, within a couple hours after I ate. I got out the WaterPik, which had been under the sink for quite some time, and added that back into my routine, but with the addition of peroxide.
Since I eat twice a day, I brush twice a day. My routine is to use a Proxabrush/floss*, then brush with an Oral-B electric toothbrush, then use the WaterPik with approximately 1/3 cup of peroxide (I don't measure, I just throw some in, so this is a guess).
* The first time I brush for the day, I use a Proxabrush; the second time, I use floss.
On workdays, I have a cup of coffee before work. After I drink it, I rinse vigorously with water, then rinse with pure peroxide for maybe 15 seconds.
I had read that salt water is also antibacterial and has the added benefit that it is absorbed so it can kill germs within the gum tissue. However, this means that it can also lead to high blood pressure, so it should be used with caution. I used salt water in the WaterPik many times in the first few months because I was willing to try just about anything, but eventually I went back to just water and peroxide.
I used to think I had a really good dental routine, until I changed my ways. You are so right about getting used to the feeling of clean teeth.
Since I was still looking for a new dentist during this time, I missed going to the dentist at the four-month mark, and didn't find the next one until six months after my previous visit.
I was quite anxious for my visit to see if there would be any improvement in my pockets, although I was also quite nervous for the measurement process with their little torture device. When I got in the chair, the hygienist casually remarked that my gums looked good, but I didn't want to get ahead of myself and tried not to get too excited. After the cleaning, the dentist came in for the exam, and he also said everything looked good. He gave me a clean bill of dental health and didn't mention any pockets or gum disease (except for noting the obvious gum recession).
I was on cloud nine! After six months of my new routine, all of the pockets were completely gone. I never thought this was possible.
At my next appointment four months later, there was again no mention of any pockets or gum disease. The hygienist told me that my home dental care is excellent.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing your experience!!
Wow! Wow! Wow! That is amazing. I am so glad you shared.
Tom
You HAVE TO FLOSS to remove plaque and food debris buildup that will surely change to tartar if you don't. Bacteria hides in the tartar, from which they will continue to live and produce acid wastes that will continue to erode your teeth and jaw bones where your teeth are imbedded. As such, your gums will continue to recede and you won't realize it until your teeth fall out!!
Get your teeth professionally cleaned at least every 6 months, or every few weeks if you are foolish enough not to floss and water floss your teeth! Tartar buildup occurs no matter how diligent you are in keeping your teeth and gums clean, so see a dental hygienist regularly.
Your teeth have probably already started to move!!!
You may need to clarify whom or what you are responding to. But yes, 6-month professional cleaning and examination is part of how I have healed my gums in the past 10 years.
SantaMedical,
I am making an exception to my no spam policy in this case. It looks like your irrigator is very similar or identical to the Yasi irrigator I reviewed here:
One of the best articles I ever read on tooth care was from a dentist who advocated both western and eastern medicine. Regarding flossing and the Waterpik, she stated that both can be used, alternating between them, as they each do something the other cannot. Waterpiks get into areas that flossing cannot reach; however, flossing provides a friction that a Waterpik cannot, one that removes plaque buildup at and below the gumline, and it does a better job of keeping it from coming back.
I use both, and my gums are super tight. In fact, I cracked my first tooth this winter (boooooo) and was given a small crown. The dentist and tech had a very hard time getting my gums to relax so that they could fit the crown on. While I have some recession from overbrushing that may have to be repaired someday, the rest of my gum health is excellent. I use the fabric-like floss that has white and red (or green) fibers. It's nice.
Sounds like a smart dentist! Sorry about your recent troubles.
I helped mine by using half and half water and peroxide in my Waterpik with periodontal tip. 3% peroxide cuts to 1 1/2%. I did that 2 to 3 times a week and the rest of the week I use 1/3 Listerine with 2/3 water in my Waterpik with periodontal tip. you want to put it at a 45° angle where the gums meet the teeth on a medium setting. I regularly brushed my teeth twice a day with an electronic toothbrush. if you're really worried about it you can go to a periodontist or certain dentists and have the Laser procedure done which kills all the bacteria in one fell swoop. it allows your gaps to close up much faster. my brother had it done but he needed a root planing too so he was pretty bad plus the laser procedure put him at about 1400 bucks. should cost a lot less without the root planning. if you have a good dental plan it'll really cut the cost down. I didn't need the laser because I was able to shrink my gaps from sixes and sevens to fours and fives. I get cleanings every 4 months. they told me to keep doing what I've been doing and I'll eventually shrink them up.
Huge congratulations!
You got the order wrong. Should waterpik first then brush. Go read the menu.
Also I use tongue scrapper to clean the tongue. Listerine tends to kill the tongue germs but
they come back first. They make the mouth smell, and study shows tongue germs can
cause heart disease and even pancreatic cancer.
If you are brushing and irrigating every night, that's by far the most important thing. The order is a minor thing. Congrats on your tongue.
Hi! I came across your blog about a week ago. I have been faithfully using the waterpik, brushing, flossing, and rinsing every night, as well as a good brush or two during the day.
I've noticed that my gums feel "itchy" and are turning white near the visible periodontal pockets. Do you recall something similar happening to you? I think it may be part of the healing process, but I've never healed my gums before. I plan to continue this routine forever. We are in the midst of the pandemic, and I can't get in for a dental checkup for an undetermined amount of time. Hopefully, by then my gums will have healed enough that we can focus on the cavities I know I have instead.
Anyways, thank you for this blog. It's given me hope.
Hi. I don't recall that. What comes to mind is some people who've commented have adverse reactions to brushing too much. I suggest knocking off the daytime brushing and instead focusing on rinsing/swishing between your nightly cleanings. Let me know how that goes for you.
Tom
Hi again. I do recall my gums turning relatively "white". I called that "pink", and saw it as healing. Again, I suggest you switch one thing: Instead of rinsing at night and brushing during the day, try rinsing/swishing all day and brushing just once a day at night after your last food.
Hi Thomas,
Thanks for sharing your story, it gives me some hope (despite the consensus on the rest of the internet being that nothing can be done about it).
I am currently following the protocol with Philips sonic toothbrush and Waterpik. I have several short questions for you:
1. After your pockets improved, did you also grew back the receding gums? or the gums never came back to cover the exposed roots?
2. How big of a role do you think fasting played in your healing?
3. How long did it take you to start seeing results?
4. What is your opinion on mixing water with Listerine, water peroxide, or bleach in the Waterpik reservoir?
Thanks in advance for your answers!
Hi!
My answer to most of that is "I don't know."
1. I don't know. There's a 2012 video of my teeth and gums.
https://www.youtube.com/user/hawstom/search?view_as=subscriber&query=gums
2. I wish I knew. I know that fasting has changed my life for the better in hard-to-express ways. That was the first long one in 2010.
3. Surprisingly fast gum color change. Better dentist results the next visit. From 7mm to total "recovery" in about 2-3 years.
4. I don't know. I think it's a good idea initially. See also Dr. Mark Manhart.
Tom
First, are you being sponsored by the brand of water pick/floss you said you purchased? Because it sounds like it. But I do agree that they work amazingly but I bought mine on Amazon for 30$ and works incredibly well! I have only just started using it for the past several days but it makes flossing a lot more fun and easier.
Second, I think intermittent fasting is great for us, but going 12 days with just water, or even 24 hours for most people, is not very smart to do. A routing of 8-10 hours a day of eating and the the remaining 16-14 hours of fasting is far better. One of the reasons for tooth decay and gum disease nutritional deficiencies and fasting can cause just that. It happened to me and I was b12 and iron deficient when I was fasting everyday with only 6 hours of time to eat for the day and I would eat healthy and a good amount. I definitely think not eating during the night is an obvious no-no!
Paid product endorsement: No. Actually, Yasi sent me a free irrigator I reviewed a few years ago. I've tried to say repeatedly "WaterPik or any other irrigator". But WaterPik is what I used.
Fasting: Of course intermittent fasting (every day) is great. Fasting for weeks on water only is a time-honored practice, and it takes training. It's not good to fast 2-3 days until you are used to fasting one day. And of course it's not good to fast 2 weeks until you are used to fasting for 3 days and you have studied the recommendations of the Natural Hygienist tradition. I don't recommend frequent long fasts, but I have fasted two weeks on two occasions. I highly recommend looking into it more seriously.
B12, iron, etc: Of course when you are eating, you need to eat right. :-) I often take a multi-vitamin supplement for B12 and "just in case".
Hi tom, thank you so much for your post as well as spending so much time over the years keeping up with replies ect. All of the information I've gotten from just this is amazing and haven't been able to find anywhere else while I've been researching. You have given me so much hope! Thank you and God bless
Hi Thomas, great thread! I'm hoping it will help my gum recession. My dentist gave me paperwork to see a periodontist to open up my gums and do whatever it is they do with it to help with the recession. I'm so hesitant to call and so glad to have found you. My question for you is in regards to the toothpaste. You wrote do not use toothpaste and I was wondering if toothpaste is something I should avoid to help my gums come back? I've been using the typical Crest or Colgate my whole life and not using it makes me feel like my teeth will not be as clean. If I still use it, along w/ the waterpik routine at night, is that ok or should I omit toothpaste like you completely? Thank you for this thread!
I just read your other post and in the numerous comments, found my answer to the toothpaste question.
Just fyi - I have no pain whatsoever with my teeth/gums atm which is another reason why I do not want to have gum surgery despite how deep it is. My dentist said I need to consider that as it will get even worse with age. The idea of opening up my gums and sewing it is not what I want, so I'm going to try your method. Toughest part imo is the choice of food and fasting, but I know it can be done.
Hi, Diane. I apologize something went wrong with my notifications.
I don't know of anything wrong with toothpaste. I just happen to have discontinued using it for no significant reason. I see you found that out. :-)
How have things gone for you since November?
Tom
Hi so do you not recommend deep cleaning ?
Hi. I recommend trying for a few weeks to see if you can get your gums pinker and your morning breath cleaner. If those preliminary results are promising, I recommend following your new home care regimen for a few months (maybe 6) and getting another exam before escalating treatment.
If you can't get your gums pinker and your breath cleaner in a few weeks or consistently for a few months, you probably should escalate treatment.
I stumbled upon this blog back in early 2020 (right before the pandemic and lockdowns) after leaving a dental appointment and being told that I had experienced bone loss in my jaw and that I periodontal disease (I believe my largest pockets were around 7 in some areas). I was subsequently referred to specialist but due to Covid, I wasn't able to see anyone for a year. In the meantime, and after reading the posts on this blog, I bought a waterpik, a Sonicare electric toothbrush, some Closys mouthwash and some Crest 12-hour protection mouthwash. I also began to swish water in my mouth after meals (or anytime that I had anything other than water in my mouth). I had to have surgery (scaling) to clean up some deep building up on the left side of my mouth but the work that I had been doing prior to this showed. I kept track of the number of times that i missed using my waterpik before bed (I have been around 99-99% nightly use since 2020 - I put one capful of Closys in the tank and fill it with water nightly to clean my gums and gargle/rinse with a capful afterwards as well - has reduced my tarter buildup TREMENDOUSLY; I use the Crest 12-hour after morning brushes). I continued to see my perio dentist and they were amazed with my progress each visit (they would just do a deep cleaning each time - nothing like the surgery though). Fast forward to this past Friday, and I was told that I no longer have periodontitis, that I have some of the best gums my doctor had ever seen and that if I keep up my routine, I can have my teeth for another 150yrs. to say that I was elated was an understatement.
This blog saved me. I was in a rough place when I received my initial diagnosis in early 2020 but I took action in the face of fear (and I didn't know if the actions I was taking were going to work). Below is a summary of my oral hygiene routine:
1. Sonicare electric toothbrush - 2x per day (sometimes only at night if I start eatling late in the day - in those cases, I just rinse my mouth out after any food/drink other than water)
2. Crest 12-hours protection (I use this after morning meals to protect my mouth throughout eh day; I'm not sure how effective this is, but my dentist recommended it and I've been using so I'm sharing the info)
3. Closys mouthwash (I bought this on Amazon and I will keep using it forever; I have the unflavored version and it just tastes like water; my bad breath is gone (even when you wake up in them morning) and my tartar buildup in my problem areas is down nearly 100%; I also add a capful to my waterpik every night before I irrigate)
4. Waterpik (I use it nightly to irrigate the gums around each of my teeth; this has been a gamechanger and I HIGHLY recommend an irrigator of some kind; use it nightly and you will see improvement; your gums will thank you)
5. Water swishing - this small act has had a tremendous impact on my oral health; you want your mouth/teeth/gums to be spend more time being clean than dirty; rinse your mouth after having anything in your mouth other than water; rinse it until all food particles are gone and your teeth feel clean; swish vigorously and use toothpicks/floss if you need to remove any tough particles; the water also neutralizes acid produced by bacteria after meals which can lead to tooth decay)
I hope that my post is is beneficial to someone. You can improve your situation if you're diligent and consistent. It took me three years of focused effort to fix my issues and I know that anyone reading this can do the same.
Oh, my goodness! This is amazing. Your story sounds almost identical to mine. Almost even the same length of time. I want to work your comment into a new blog post. I even wonder about the possibility of doing a Youtube video on this. So, so, cool. Huge congratulations!
Someone who commented here once used the phrase "ninja swishing". :-D
Tom
p.s. I also love your story because I always wonder how important my big fast was. But you did it without any big fast. So that's really cool.
Very interesting. But a deep clean is essential to remove the tartar under the gumline, where bacteria hid inside. No chemicals can remove tartar as its made of the same stuff as your teeth. I would not advise to skip a deep clean to remove the disease.
Also check out reddit periodontaldisease which has more tips like using xylitol to kill plaque.
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