Curious what people actually do when their gums start creeping up. Are you more into trying those mouthwashes and oil pulling things, or just book an appointment ASAP? Or maybe just ignore it and hope for the best?
Are you more into trying those mouthwashes and oil pulling things, or just book an appointment ASAP? Or maybe just ignore it and hope for the best?
I used to try all the DIY stuff—oil pulling, fancy mouthwashes, you name it. Honestly, didn’t see much change with my gums. Maybe my technique was off, but it just felt like I was stalling. Now that I’m in braces, my orthodontist keeps a close eye on gum health anyway, so if I notice my gums receding even a bit, I bring it up at my next visit. They’re always saying that early intervention is key.
Ignoring it never worked for me. The one time I tried to just brush better and hope for the best, things got worse and I ended up needing a deep cleaning (which was not fun). For me it’s worth getting it checked out sooner rather than later—peace of mind and all that. DIY stuff is fine for maintenance, but once you see recession happening, probably best to let the pros weigh in.
DIY stuff is fine for maintenance, but once you see recession happening, probably best to let the pros weigh in.
That’s pretty much where I landed, too. I tried oil pulling for a couple months after seeing it all over YouTube, but honestly, I couldn’t tell if it did anything besides make my mouth taste weird. Same with those “gum healing” mouthwashes—felt nice and minty, but my gums didn’t look any better. Maybe it helps some people, but for me, it was just a distraction from actually dealing with the problem.
Now that I’m in braces, I don’t mess around. If I spot any gum recession or swelling, I bring it up at my next ortho appointment. My orthodontist is super vigilant about gum health, which is kind of a relief. They told me early on that if you catch gum issues fast, it’s way easier to manage. Waiting just makes things more complicated (and sometimes more expensive).
I get why people want to try home remedies first—dentist appointments can be a pain to schedule and expensive, especially if you don’t have great insurance. But in my case, ignoring it just made everything worse. I ended up needing a deep cleaning under local anesthetic, and that was not fun at all. Honestly, I’d rather deal with the hassle of an extra appointment than go through that again.
One thing I do at home now is use those little interdental brushes (like TePe or whatever brand). They’re kind of a game changer for cleaning around brackets and wires—way better than flossing with regular string when you have braces. But if I notice anything off, I don’t wait around hoping it’ll fix itself.
I guess my take is: DIY stuff is fine for keeping things in check, but if you actually see your gums shrinking or bleeding a lot, don’t risk it—just get it checked out. Peace of mind is worth it, even if the appointment’s a pain to fit in.
I’m kind of in the same boat—tried oil pulling and “natural” rinses, but didn’t notice any difference except maybe fresher breath. The interdental brushes are a lifesaver with braces, though. I get what you mean about not waiting around if something looks off.
I still wish insurance made it less stressful to go in, but yeah… peace of mind wins.if you actually see your gums shrinking or bleeding a lot, don’t risk it—just get it checked out.
Insurance is such a headache, isn’t it? I totally get what you mean about peace of mind, though. I tried the “natural” route for a while—oil pulling, saltwater rinses, some random herbal mouthwash my neighbor swears by...honestly, didn’t see much change either. Gums still looked the same, maybe even a bit worse after a few months. The only thing that actually helped was getting in to see my dentist when things started looking sketchy.
I’ve had receding gums for years now (joys of getting older, I guess), and every time I try to put it off, I end up regretting it. Sometimes the dentist just does a deep clean and tells me to be more gentle with brushing, but once I waited too long and needed a gum graft. Not fun, would not recommend.
Wish there was a magic DIY fix that actually worked...but in my experience, if you notice your gums are shrinking or bleeding more than usual, better safe than sorry. The cost is rough but losing teeth is worse.