bryanna, where are you ?? :)
 

Hey stranger remember me .... Got a question. I have been working out and eating better and have lost about 37 pounds over the last year or so. I notice that when flossing now my back lower molars seem to be a little further apart and the floss slips in very easy now and I used to have to fight it. Any idea why ??? My gums look good nice and pink and firm...

Hey cvcman!

Congratulations on your weight loss!! Glad to hear that you on a healthy path :-))

I have never heard of teeth shifting due to a weight loss. But it sounds like yours have moved for the better!!

Keep up the workout and healthy eating!! And of course the flossing!!!!!

Do you have a weight loss goal in mind?

Bryanna

Well I am 6 pounds away from my weight in high school and I am 52 yrs old so I'm pretty pleased right here.
So do you think the space is a problem ??

Congratulations!! That is alot to be proud of!!! :)

No, I don't think the space is a problem. If you find that the spaces are getting very large or think you are developing pocketing below the gumline, then have your dentist check it out.



QUOTE=cvcman;797079]Well I am 6 pounds away from my weight in high school and I am 52 yrs old so I'm pretty pleased right here.
So do you think the space is a problem ??[/QUOTE]

How would I know if I'm getting pocketing ?? The gums look good and firm and pink??

The floss would easily go down in between the tooth and gum alot further than normal which is more than 2-3 millimeters. Your gums are also checked at your dental appts.

Huh. The floss goes between my tooth and gum on all my teeth...and it goes down about half way from the tip of the gum to the root, maybe not quite half way but aways

If the floss is going down as far as you say, you could have generalized pocketing throughout your mouth. Any pocket depths over 3 mm are considered abnormal and will allow bacteria to get trapped in there. Has your dentist or hygienist ever measured your pocket depths with an instrument called a probe?

The measuring should be done only when there is no heavy calculus on the teeth because the calculus will give an inaccurate reading as it will prevent the probe from sliding down into the pocket. The calculus actually forms a ledge between the tooth and the gum.

Bryanna

Ummm no I don't believe so, they always say my gums look fine???? What would the cure be for that ?? There would be no other signs ??? Again my gums are nice and pink and gu up quite far on my teeth between them, no bleeding etc ??

ok I just rechecked in good light :) And now I know what 3mm is ,lol so the only one that seems like maybe 4mm is my lower left molar just in front of the one I had extracted over a yr ago. So I didnt have a wisdom tooth there and the tooth in front of the wisdom which I think is the 2nd molar was extracted, so its between the 1st molar and the one in front of that. That 1st molar has some gum recession which it has had for years. Its hard to tell how far the floss goes down w/o forcing it because if so dont have the floss level side to side it looks like it goes down further but if you get it level maybe 4mm ??
The other if you hold the floss level maybe 2mm, not much at all.

So...what if anything should I do ?? I floss daily ( usually ) and lightly brush my gums. I use Toms toothpaste with Xylitol and Sensodyne sometimes. My teeth have like NO tarter or buildup. I dont smoke....