Dentist said I have periodontitis ('gum' inflammation) - how do you regulate?

[menuhin]

My dentist told me today that I have some signs of Periodontitis, and need subsequent treatments.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Periodontitis
Do some forum members have experience on Periodontitis and how do you regulate your pipe smoking to maintain good oral health and hygiene?

 

[huntertrw]

menuhin:
Here is a link (Mayo Clinic) to the Website of the Mayo Clinic and their Periodontitis pages, as I am always a bit suspicious of Wikipedia's information.
I hope that you find their information to be of help to you.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I have no idea what that thing is, but I gargle with Biotene to bring the PH of my mouth to normal, and then brush my teeth. I do this first thing in the morning, after lunch, and just before bed. That's it. Oh, and I floss before bed. I could probably talk at greater length about my bowl movements, ha ha.

 

[menuhin]

Thanks Hunter!

I'm aware of the potential evil aspect of Wikipedia when reading about pages that I understand more. And I would even look into who are those people that care about editing these handful of pages that only a few people on would actually care, for example in a very narrow niche in certain area in academia. I am still puzzled and amazed because there are tones of these people doing editing for Wikipedia in areas that they are apparently not experts for, and do these people get paid secretly indeed.
Ah yes, it's not just the basic gum inflammation but also affecting the root of teeth deep down.

My gum is still feeling sore and the anesthesia has fade for not so long, but I'm itching to enjoy a bowl of my favorite English blend in one of my beloved sandblasted pipes.

 

[zitotczito]

How do I regulate my smoking, I don't. I have been seeing a Periodontist for 10 years, have had 3 cadaver bone grafts done, deep scaling ever 6 months (think your mouth is sore now) and twice a year General Dentist visits. The Doc's tell me it is the heat that smoking generates that makes it hard to catch periodontal disease as the heat slows the bleeding down.
In either case, all my teeth are still there(I'm 62), gums are in great shape and I smoke a couple of cigars and bowls a day. I brush twice daily, use floss, a proxabrush and then rinse with Biotene. Be proactive and you should not have problems.

 

[tbradsim1]

I do the Biotene brush tongue and gums, use their gargle and floss regularly . When sometimes mouth gets sensitive I lay off for a couple days.

 

[tuold]

I got the same news a few years ago. My response was to amp up my dental hygiene by coming in for cleaning every 3 months for a year or so until it was under control. I also bought an (expensive) electric toothbrush and started using a non-alcohol based mouthwash twice a day. On the advise of my dentist I also switched to a twine dental floss instead of the waxed ribbon stuff. That's what worked for me.

 

[igloo]

I get a big swallow of Listerine in my mouth every morning before entering the shower and swish it around until the shower is over . That's a lot of burn for ten minutes and a lot of dead germs and plague down the drain .

 

[indianafrank]

I had the same disease for years. A tooth pulled here, one there, another two pulled. So I told the Dentist..."screw this pull them all." Now, no worries about my teeth.

 

[brudnod]

This is one of the most useful threads that I have seen so far. Taking good care of your mouth is an integral part of pipe smoking. Since I don't smoke more than an average of 5 times a week the dental hygiene is less of a problem but listening to Hunter and Cosmic sounds like a routine that should be followed. IndianaFrank, not so much...

 

[crimsonrat]

I use Biotene after I smoke and a mouthwash with chlorine dioxide. Seems to help out a lot with tongue bite, and I would assume other maladies.

 

[drwatson]

Gargle twice a day with warm water and baking soda!

 

[warren]

A teaspoon of "EXXCL oralblue" in the old Waterpik should do the trick. Speak with an oral hygienist about it. The product has Biotene in it. The "pic" will get your gums back into good condition and the EXXCL takes care of the bacteria and other grunge.
Not an ad men, just a happy user with a healthier set of gums.

 

[frozenchurchwarden]

I just saw the dentist last month, and after getting my teeth cleaned for the first time in ten years the bleeding on my gums has gone down dramatically.
Aside from a few fillings that I got as a kid my teeth are great, hopefully it stays that way.