Gum issues/disease

[Dayvid]

Hey guys. Anyone help?

I have what appears to be minor gum disease. Now, my oral hygiene isn't bad., I brush twice a day but maybe not well enough if im in a rush.

My issue is - I've started seeing someone who, from the get go, i noticed doesn't have the greatest teeth/breath. I didn't let it bother me until I noticed they never really brush their teeth all the times i've stayed over.

Also... for a few weeks before this, after we would kiss, their "taste" would linger. And it was not nice at all! It tasted vile and it felt like i now had bad breath and couldn't get rid of it!

Anyway, long story short - I think I may have caught gum disease? Or at least, with too much kissing, had a buildup of the bad bacteria. It can't be a coincidence that the taste of THEIR mouth (albeit bad) lingered in mine for days. can it? and now BAM - gum disease.

I've started brushing 3 times a day, mouthwash whenever i can and even salt rinses. I think it's improving slowly but apparently it can take some time. It's not a major case thankfully.

I'm scared though, i googled it and things like diabetes and HIV showed up. So now my mind things my immune system is compromised and thats why i have some sort of gum disease?!

ahhhh - anyone help? Or confirm what I think? That I caught it?

[Brunette]

Firstly, none of my business really but I wouldn't want to be with someone who literally left a bad taste in my mouth after kissing me but each to their own

However, in answer to your question it is possible to contract or worsen gum disease through kissing someone with poor oral hygiene because of the increase of bacteria in your mouth.

Having said that, it is treatable. See a dental hygienist regularly and they will be able to help you to keep on top of any problems. It also goes without saying that your partner needs to see one too!

[Dayvid]

Thanks for getting back to me! So you don't think its a coincidence? It tasted bad, and just like their breath. And I couldn't get rid of it easily either. I put 2 and 2 together simply because it was THAT taste....

It's definitely clearing up - I hear gum disease can take a few weeks to fully stop with bleeding etc. But the taste has completely gone and there's very little - no pain. Just when I brush, there's sometimes some blood now. So it's getting better!

I just worried when I heard that some scary things are associated with gum disease, like HIV etc, even though I haven't had any risk (no sex) but it's just where our minds go when we see trigger words!

Thanks again - i'll be ending the "relationship" soon. Im not risking my oral health!

[Dayvid]

Hello all,

I recently got told by the dentist I had gingivitis. I knew this, I had been seeing someone with pretty bad oral hygiene/health and it seems I had got it from them. Plus, I didn't brush as well as I should, so It's a mixture of factors.

Anyway, he didn't seem concerned, cleaned my teeth and the bleeding instantly improved. Drastically. And it still has. I have no random bleeding, most of the teeth/gums have cleared up.

But there are a couple of spots in between 2 teeth that sometimes still bleed when I brush. They don't bleed a lot and stop bleeding within a seconds. But they still haven't fully healed.

It's been a month - is this normal? Should I be concerned? It's probably 90% better than it was. But just not completely healed.

Im scared i'll lose my teeth. But If it has improved, then... surely I shouldn't worry?

Anyone? Please?

[Fishmanpa]

I've had incidents like this my entire life and I've never had gingivitis. Totally normal to me anyway.

Positive thoughts

[Phuzella]

You can catch gingivitis off someone? ?

[Carys]

Well, errrrm, kind of......I've looked this up once before after seeing it mentioned on a dental forum. You can get some unpleasant and unusual bacteria enter your mouth from someone else who has bad gingivitis, BUT, they only set up as gum disease if you have poor oral hygiene yourself and already have pockets formed around the teeth ready to accept them. The probability is that you already have gum disease starting anyway and it just made it worse quicker than it would anyway.

To the OP, it sounds to me like you should be using interdental brushes and flossing as well as effective brushing - are you doing those things? I had bad gum disease some 10 years ago and receeded gums (in my case at the time I was a smoker and some people are genetically more likely than others to develop it) , which was totally cleared up after regular hygienist visits and very strict daily dental hygiene processes. It depends how bad and for how long you'd had the gum disease as to how quickly it heals. Gingivitis, for most people, is totally reversible and your dentist should have advised that you keep attending regular hygienist appointments, to maintain the cleaning that was done at this visit. It sounds like as the dentist wasn't too concerned that you had very low grade gum disease. You do have to keep up the cleaning though, as for some people, once the pockets are formed you need to ensure bacteria never gets a hold there again. For teeth to be lost the gum disease has to be so bad that the supporting stuructures of the teeth are attacked, and from what you are saying it sounds like you were absolutely nowhere near that point.

As for the two areas that still bleed, it could be that they require another additional clean, and some plaque was left under the gum

[Elen]

Hi

This is just a courtesy reply to let you know that your thread was merged with another of your threads.

Please when posting on similar topics add it onto your previous post rather than starting a new one.

It is nothing personal it is just to make it easier for people to follow your story and to give you advice as a whole.

Elen

[Dayvid]

Well, errrrm, kind of......I've looked this up once before after seeing it mentioned on a dental forum. You can get some unpleasant and unusual bacteria enter your mouth from someone else who has bad gingivitis, BUT, they only set up as gum disease if you have poor oral hygiene yourself and already have pockets formed around the teeth ready to accept them. The probability is that you already have gum disease starting anyway and it just made it worse quicker than it would anyway.

To the OP, it sounds to me like you should be using interdental brushes and flossing as well as effective brushing - are you doing those things? I had bad gum disease some 10 years ago and receeded gums (in my case at the time I was a smoker and some people are genetically more likely than others to develop it) , which was totally cleared up after regular hygienist visits and very strict daily dental hygiene processes. It depends how bad and for how long you'd had the gum disease as to how quickly it heals. Gingivitis, for most people, is totally reversible and your dentist should have advised that you keep attending regular hygienist appointments, to maintain the cleaning that was done at this visit. It sounds like as the dentist wasn't too concerned that you had very low grade gum disease. You do have to keep up the cleaning though, as for some people, once the pockets are formed you need to ensure bacteria never gets a hold there again. For teeth to be lost the gum disease has to be so bad that the supporting stuructures of the teeth are attacked, and from what you are saying it sounds like you were absolutely nowhere near that point.

As for the two areas that still bleed, it could be that they require another additional clean, and some plaque was left under the gum

Thanks for getting back to me!

I am brushing much better and using mouthwash daily. And the bleeding is definitely much improved. And even in the areas that are still bleeding, it's much much less. Just not completely healed.

And the only reason I think I "caught" it from someone is that when we would kiss, the bad taste from their mouth would linger in mine for days. Like exactly the same bad taste. Even if I brushed. I also got some little sore spots on my tongue after we started seeing each other (which i've had before, but these were a little stubborn) So, I'd presumed it was bad bacteria plus, me brushing regularly but not WELL enough, yknow? If that makes sense?

[Phuzella]

You need to use floss and interdental brushes