discovery--don't know whether it will help others.

I now keep a bag of floss PICKS by my desk. Flossing is hugely helpful, but few people do it as often as they should. And those who do often miss critical parts.

These floss picks look like little plastic wrenches with a short length of floss in between the open grips. The fact that you can use them like toothpicks make all the difference. A lot of people--especially smokers--find that they like twiddling with them and using them repeatedly, unlike regular floss which feels like it's going to pinch your fingertips off.

I've used them for less than a week and my gum inflammation has decreased dramatically.

Just a suggestion. Hope it helps.

Dalek,
I said Biotene Gel. Biotene is the gel toothpaste I use. The mouth moisturizer is Oral Balance Gel for dry mouth made by Biotene. Here is a link: http://www.laclede.com/ We order it from: http://www.drugstore.com/templates/b...-AB&trxp1=7916

These products provide balance of the natural enzymes in the mouth that you are lacking due to the deterioration of saliva or lack of it.

Sorry for the goof-up.
Billye

When people get dry mouth, they sometimes like to suck on hard candies, and that is a set-up for cavities. But it's not clear--do you have dry mouth? Because if you do, it's really important to be careful about sweets; but it seems to me hard not to know if one's mouth is dry; it's just so uncomfortalbe.

So, is it?

First off, I don't do hard candies or gum, unless under dire circumstances.
I've always had what one could call a wet mouth, but I'm realizing that I'm becoming aware of 'dry' moments?

I suppose I could say blatently it's the combo of the Keppra and the AI, however, I've been on the first for several years now and the second 6 months..any dryness is just appearing. Further the acceleration of tooth deterioration started immediately prior to the cancer's diagnosis, almost a year ago. Lots of overlapping and conflicting indicators here in terms of any cause/effect detection.

Also have a history of being a mouth breather, but, can be like a bloodhound w/saliva. My dentist has been diligent and agressive regarding treatments over the many years I've seen him. It's like an inside-out manifestation of what's probably another new potential issue and well, durned frustrating

Steve: I can't floss, finger tips are soo numb that attempts are dangerous not only to the gums, there's potential for cutting finger skin.

Last week I spent a little time listing all s/e's major and minor for all meds taken. Guess what? ALL to some degree list dry mouth [and some other choice things]. Billye: Going out and getting biotene today! Bob: My dentist said that most of their patients on anti-seizure meds ALL develop problems in short order [how encouraging!] MrsD: I'm getting to the point where I'm thinking that the combo of meds I'm on are beginning to really compound in a way resulting w/lots of undocumented changes. It's a frightening prospect really as docs don't know, and pharm co's probably know but don't want to know..or at least admit to the prospect.

So, on to life, or something like it! - thanks to all of you! Hope your pain is lighter today! Any break in it is a GOOD thing! - j

That's exactly how my dentist does my crowns. I went to him in April complaining that my back molar was decaying under that 2 year old crown. I had "that awful taste and odor" when pressing on the gum.

He argued with me that it COULDN'T BE, as he had that d@mn ice pick under my gum, because it was only 2 years old. I had no pain because of a root canal, but he was ADAMANT that it WAS NOT decaying because the crown was fitting great and was so far below the gumline.

I lost the crown in Rochester 3 weeks ago. I saw him when I got home. He still denied it was decaying. "There wasn't much tooth left to adhere the crown to, and if it HAD decayed, my cheek would have swollen like a balloon and I would have had pain." I said no I wouldn't have because the tooth was leaking. I should have sent HIM the $36.00 bill for that 10 minute office call. It was worth it to see the pretty red color on his face I guess.

Sorry for getting offtrack, but hadta share my story.

I use the Biotene Dry Mouth Gum also and I like sugar-free AquaDrops hydrating mints. The only place I could find the sugar-free AquaDrops was Kmart, and now they stopped stocking them. I'm gonna hafta go out looking...

My docs all think my meds are giving me the dry mouth. They say drink lots of water and keep using the gum and hydrating mints.

Hugs,
Jan

Aqua Drops is not being made anymore, so any supply you find will simply be the last of the stock. (this has been discussed at length on the Sjogrens Forum, even tried to order from the co. who makes them). A lot of the Sjoggies use sugar free lemon drops. The lemon stimulates the saliva. We use these during the day and then use the Biotene Gel at night to keep it moist when we sleep. The enzymes you need for healthy gums is in the Biotene Gel. Using it all day is the ideal situation, but drinking water washes it away, eating washes it away, and it is a little costly to constantly use it. So we all get by by using the lemon drops.

Billye

Did you remind him THAT tooth should NOT feel pain cause of the root canal???

Good for you sending him the bill, LOL. Liz

Thanks for saving me a lot of running around, and for the tip Billye!
Hugs,
Jan

You are welcome Janster. I had already been thru it!
Billye

I've gotten and tried the liquid, it works, I think...I must now be a bloodhound, given the 'slobber'?

Can I also say it's not exactly 'yummy'? But, works.

Hugs and good thoughts

and, a few pain free minutes each day? - j