Hi Meera,
Thank you for the kind words ~'.'~
I am so glad that you are feeling better! I am also amazed at the effort you are putting in to help yourself get better. You are so committed to this and I have no doubt that you will reap the benefits!
Regarding oral care at home.... Yes, use a super soft toothbrush. Angle the bristles of the brush at a 90 degree angle where the teeth meet the gum. Gently move the brush in a circular motion along that gum line on every tooth and on both the front and back of all of your teeth. On the biting surfaces, hold the bristles flat against those surfaces and move the brush forward and backward. Ideally you should brush for 3 minutes.
Toothpaste is actually not necessary as it is the mechanical action of using the toothbrush that removes the plaque. But toothpaste such as what you are using as well as the oil pulling and myrrh powder all all therapeutic for the gum tissue. Most commercial toothpastes, those which are endorsed by the ADA, are actually toxic and too harsh on the enamel. Many toothpastes are marketed as tooth whiteners, etc. The fact is that when you use a tooth whitening paste every day, you slowly strip away the protective enamel surface due to the chemical abrasives in the paste. The best natural tooth whitener is aluminum free baking soda, it will not harm the enamel or the gum tissue.
Floss..... try some different types of floss and try to avoid the flavored ones. Again those flavors are derived from chemicals and should be avoided. Try the tape floss as that can sometimes be easier to slide into tight spaces.
The recession that you currently have will not progress...
**If you keep the plaque from accumulating along the gum line.
**If your clenching habit is corrected.
**If your occlusion (bite) is aligned properly.
The small yellow portion of those lower teeth that is exposed is actually part of the root which is suppose to be covered by gum tissue. These areas can be sensitive but if they do not continue to recede and you continue to keep everything clean, then the sensitivity can diminish over time.
A few other tips that you might want to try...
***Use an electric tooth brush. Oral B or Braun make very good ones. These tooth brushes are easy to use and actually do all the work of brushing for you. You just have to be sure to angle the bristles at 90 degrees along the gum line and just gently move the brush along. No need to maneuver the brush in any direction other than along the gum line. The bristles rotate in a circular type motion doing that job for you! Electric tooth brushes should never be used the same way as a manual brush as that action would be too harsh. Just angle is properly and let the brush do all the work ... again brushing for a good 3 minutes.
You can also try an electric flosser. These things are magical when used properly!
I also always recommend that people use a tongue scraper to clean their tongue once a day before bedtime. I personally like a "oolitt" tongue scraper because I can bend it to the shape of my tongue, it is very effective, can be cleaned easily and it lasts a very long time. People who scrape their tongue on a daily basis find that their breath is always fresh and their mouth just feels so clean! ;-)
Hope this info is helpful to you!
Bryanna
Quote:
Originally Posted by Meera Dasi
Hi Bryanna,
Thanks for your answers, and I agree with you, I should get it checked out rather sooner than later, to make sure nothing more serious is going on! On a positive note, I slept with a rolled towel under my neck last night, and on my back versus my stomach, as I have heard this can help relax the jaw area. And lo and behold, woke up with almost no discomfort, apart from some muscle ache on my TMJ. The feeling of pressure next to my nose has gone as well. So I am hopeful, that it IS really just some not too major TMJ issue. I did have digital x-rays done just a few months ago of all my teeth, and had an overall evaluation and my dentist had said that, apart from the infection in my root canals (that have been extracted now) my teeth and gums looked actually very healthy- with that being said, I will call him tomorrow (they are not open Wednesdays) to schedule an appt.
I kind of have become a bit of a dentist phobic, not in that I am scared of dentists or pain of the procedures, but that I am ultra careful with my teeth now, almost maybe too much? But maybe, the amount of care and thought I put into my oral health will be good, and I will become more relaxed once I get to a place where I feel my teeth and gums are doing well, and the way I am taking care of them, actually works and keeps them healthy. I really do not wish to loose any more teeth in the next 50 years or, for the rest of my life! ;-)
One question I have, I am sure you know a great answer to this one, I have asked my oral hygienist and looked it up on google, but am still somewhat confused: how do I correctly brush my teeth, so I get them clean without hurting the enamel, and my gums? I use an ultra soft toothbrush since some months now, as I had been brushing wayyyy to hard before, brushing off some of the protective layer and making my molars sensitive :-(. I did not know better. Also, I have ditched conventional tooth paste and either use homemade powder with herbs, or a paste called earth paste, which contains only coconut oil, essential oils, healing mud. But I do have some receeding gums on my lower front teeth I noticed. It's not super bad, but I can see the neck of the tooth exposed, and the neck is also yellow-ish, while my teeth are white. My dentist did not mention that it was a big problem yet, but I do want to try and prevent it from getting worse! I try to brush gently, and also when flossing, try to not hit the gum (which, btw, I find difficult to do, as the floss seems to just hit the gum no matter how hard I try for it not to). Are there any tips you could share with me on this? I do oil pulling and also dab some myrrh powder on it since a few days, which apparently has great healing components. But is brushing not making the recession of the gums worse? 
Thank you so much, Bryanna! It is SO great to be able to talk to someone as knowledgeable and open as you about oral health, and to get honest, open answers and suggestions!  
Meera |