Receding Gums

[charlie]

Dan, thank you. Hopefully my oral health will turn around for the better.

 

[ARK]

Charlie- How much calcium and vitamin K are you getting? He mentions that using 2-3 drops of K on your teeth and gums is safe. I believe that Ray mentions that he has seen vitamin K reverse some peoples gum problems and make their teeth whiter. He also mentions rinsing with coconut oil (as others have mentioned that :) ). Also, have you tried the ground up egg shells?

 

[charlie]

I just started recently getting a good amount of K and D. Thank you for reminding me about putting K on gums though, that slipped my mind. I am doing coconut oil pulling twice a day for 20 minutes each time. I have shells ground up, but they are still too big. I need to dissolve it in lemon juice like nwo suggested. I will eventually get around to that.

 

[ARK]

Charlie- I am using a powdered eggshell called Eggshellent Calcium. They are made by Pet's Friend. It is like a fine powder and I am doing well with it. I got it on line and started with a tiny bit and been working up. You may want to try it. It is 100% eggshell powder and seems like a great product.

The K has made a big difference for my teeth so let me know.

 

[HollyLooyah]

Quick question for you ARK - how are you taking the Eggshellent Calcium? Mixing with something? I'm getting ready to order some because, like Charlie, I have ground my eggshells but they are still not powdered enough to ingest (although I am still using them in my coffee grounds). I would like a little more information about how you are ingesting the powdered calcium and for what specific ailments. Thanks! (hope I'm not hijacking)

 

[ARK]

I just mix them in sparkling mineral water and chug them. I started with 1/4 t and have worked up to 1/2 a teaspoon. I do very well with them (so far).

 

[HollyLooyah]

Thanks ARK! Is this for a specific ailment or just for from an overall nutrition RP recommendation?

 

[ARK]

The egg shells are a great source of calcium carbonate so they are good if you can tolerate them. Some people can't do them do to digestion issues. Always go slowly with everything. Ray does seem to point to eggshells for overall good nutrition. Here is one quote in which he mentions them:
"When the environment is too stressful, or when nutrition isn't adequate, the organism may be unable to mobilize the opposing and complementary substances to stop their actions. In those situations, it can be therapeutic to use some of the nutrients as supplements. Calcium carbonate (eggshell or oyster shell, for example) and vitamins D and K, can sometimes produce quick antistress effects"- Ray Peat

 

[charlie]

Great quote Ann, thank you!

 

[HollyLooyah]

Thanks Ann! (Sorry to hijack the thread Charlie)

 

[Peata]

I've noticed some people on various RP sites mention gum issues. How are yours doing now, Charlie?

Mine are actually improving since coming to this woe. I check them in the mirror and I can't deny they are looking better. The gums seem to fit tighter around the tooth. Where I had some severe erosion going on with a few teeth, the gums are looking a little closer to the tooth. I don't know if it will fix itself completely, just have to wait and see. No irritation or bleeding. I am actually looking forward to what my dentist will say when I go back in Sept. He measured the pockets or gaps in some of the teeth a while back, so I'd like to find out if any of them lessened.

In my case at least, I'm pretty sure it was caused by estrogen (and thyroid, etc.). It really came on around 3 years ago when I had an explosion of estrogen dominance.

 

[Jenn]

Increasing sugar can increase the need for baking soda.
Baking soda can kill mouth bacteria through the oxygenation process.
Baking soda can increase the effectiveness of saliva enzymes.
Saliva pH is a greater influence on teeth than any specific food. Meaning, if you are already making lactic acid, then your saliva can be MORE acidic than the OJ.

 

[Rivka]

I had the same problem with bleeding and receding gums and sensitive teeth. I emailed Ray and received the following response: "Melting a little coconut oil in the mouth frequently during the day can be effective, because it's antiseptic (and swallowing some at intervals during the day contributes to disinfecting the intestine). Vitamins D and K help some people. The problem usually involves endotoxin absorption, so small daily amounts of minocycline help some people. Putting bamboo shoots through a shredding food processor, so they don't take much chewing, might help to reduce endotoxin. Checking the thyroid is important."
I tried all the natural supplements and foods with no luck. I then took 50mg of Minocycline 2x per day with food and after the 4th day my gums started becoming pinker and then fully back to normal by day 6. I stopped taking the antibiotic on day 7. I have also increased carrot salad to 2x per day to help with endotoxin removal.

 

[Dutchie]

I dont have receding gums,but ive noticed that my gums have become ligther in color,very ligth pink.
It doesnt bother me but i am curious if this is due to anything?

 

[Peata]

Ironically, since I posted how much better my gums are, they are now going the other way. I had JUST started increasing my sugar intake (granulated) right after making that post.

About a week later, I experienced severe sensitivity to cold and pressure. My gums are consistently sensitive now, right at the edge where they meet the teeth. Even when I'm not eating/drinking anything, they ache a little. The gums are also lighter color.

Soo... I'm gonna assume it was the increase in sugar and therefore bacteria.

Rubbing Progest-E on them has helped some, but temporarily so far. I'm going to lower added white sugar amount but also try the Bass brushing technique, as posted in the link by Dan Wich. I don't think I was tending to my mouth as frequently as I should have been during the day after eating/drinking. I'm going to try swishing around water and baking soda.

 

[Peata]

Well now I just came across this, posted by Edward in the "Experience With Vitamin A and Acne" thread:

Some people have noticed that while increasing the amount of sugar in their diet that their gums and teeth get sore. I think in some cases this can be an indicator that the teeth are “rearranging”. This happened in me. I had very straight teeth all my life. After a few months of experimenting with low carbohydrate dieting I began to notice some crowding or asymmetries in my teeth. After resuming my normal diet they straightened back up after a few nights of my jaw feeling like it was going to fall off. Symmetry is beautiful. And typically people who start eating rationally often become more attractive I think that this is because of improved energy production and availability and the consequence is symmetry and the body regenerates.

I think I will continue with the sugar I'm eating, but do the extra oral care I described.

BTW, I use coconut oil, baking soda, and magnesium oil as my tooth products. Worked great up until the gum tenderness a week ago. I'll keep on and see what happens.

 

[lovelife]

I haven't read this entire thread so I'm not sure if it's been mentioned or not, but I just have to say Xylitol! Seriously, this stuff should be promoted more by dentists everywhere. By using about 6-10 grams a day.. in 6 wks bad bacteria will almost not be able to grow AT ALL in your mouth. It not only prevents cavities, but helps heal small ones. It also reestablishes the correct PH in your mouth when you use it. Some people have even gotten rid of white patches on their tongue from using it.

Personally I use it after anytime I eat food that makes my mouth ph more acidic.. really that's most food. Unless I drink milk or eat cheese at the end of a meal which will do the same thing. I take about 2 tsp a day (8 grams)... I have a big bag of it from amazon.. 5 lbs and it's lasts for a long time. I just put some in my mouth and swish it around until it's fully dissolved and had a chance to stay on my teeth some then swallow it. Some people have stomach issues from it at first (specifically if you have issues digesting ~tols like sorbitol)... but just take a smaller amount and work your way up to at least 6 grams over a few days to a wk.

This stuff will basically make you completely cavity resistant... I haven't seen studies on it for gums yet, but I imagine it will help there as well. Since most here are drinking quite a lot of OJ.. which is VERY acidic to teeth.. I'd def recommend trying this out.

As far as I know this shouldn't be against any Peat stuff.. it's usually made from birch tree bark or corn I believe . There are quite a few studies on it and in Sweden or Switzerland (can't remember) they started giving it to children in daycare and cavities went down drastically! I wish I had known about this all my life.. but unfortunately it seems since it's plant derived they can't make as much money as they can with fluoride.

PS: Forgot to add they make gums and mints with it as well.. but it's much more expensive than just buying the granular.

 

[Peata]

My gums/teeth are feeling better since I started the Bass technique and swishing with bs more.

I cancelled my dentist appt. for next week though because I want to wait til the sensitivity is completely gone for good before they start poking around with sharp objects.

 

[shredder]

I too have receding gums. I'm getting all my carbs from sugar (fruit) and have seen great results on my hair and skin, but not on my teeth and gums. When I eat a bit of starch with each meal, the dental problems improves somewhat, but I then get an inflamed scalp and skin from eating starch, and so I want to be able to do this diet without eating any starch. It seems like nutrient deficiency is the cause of the dental problems. Perhaps because fruits are eaten raw, and starches are eaten well cooked, that people with poor digestion can not utilize all the nutrients in the fruit?

 

[Jenn]

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.