Immortal - Dentist said yesterday that I have Gum Disease :(

I have Type 2 Diabetes and now I have to deal with this headache...

A dental bridge that I have came out suddenly and so I went to the Dentist. She took X-Rays of my entire mouth and said I have Gum Disease. They are going to do a deep clean and then send me to the Periodontist before deciding on how to replace my dental bridge.

I am getting a bit scared as I don't want to lose my teeth. Can you please help me what I should to take care of my teeth?

Thanks

frapin - It is doubtful that they (the dentists) will perform anything revolutionary to your teeth/gums, and instead, perhaps extract money from you and harm you in the process.

I would suggest you try oral salt rinses or sodium bicarbonate. Also do 15 minutes of oil pulling each day.

Ultimately though there is probably an underlining infection going on.

X-rays rarely show any of these origins, because said infections generally cannot be found with X-rays. Usually other instruments are needed. Different "natural" dentists have different tools of the trade. At this time there is no universal methodology/standard, so would suggest the above protocol until you can find a dentist who can identify if there are some "hot" spots, such as cavitations or infections that need to cleaned.

They showed me the X-Rays and said that there is bone loss

Right now the plan is to do deep clean and see if I am a candidate for dental crown and implants to replace the lost bridge.

I will definitely do the salt rinse and oil pulling.

I feel frustrated Immortal - first there was erection problems, then I went bald, then diabetes, and now this

frapin, waterpik is one of the single best ways to deep clean around teeth and it can also reverse gum disease and recession.

I put a few drops of Lugols in my waterpik tank every session.  That seems to really help with infection control.

You can also use salt water in the waterpik, per CS's recs for salt rinse.  I've done that but prefer iodine.

If you start waterpik just remember to run some clean water through the waterpik every time after you use it.  Both salt and iodine can corrode the parts.

I also rinse with a homemade mouthwash of 25% grain alcohol, 75% distilled water, 5 drops of grapefruit seed extract per ounce of solution (30oz of solution = 150 drops of GSE), a drop of peppermint oil per oz of solution, and half drop each of wintergreen and spearmint oil per oz of solution.  

Do this morning and night and in two weeks I think you'll see and feel a big positive difference in your oral health.

FWIW, I have implants and oil pulling didn't really agree with me for some reason.  It seemed like my gums receded a bit when I was doing it and also that my bridgework got loose.  So I just quit.  I know a lot of people here like it, but with respect to CS and others who know more than I do about many things, I don't think we've been doing it long enough to know whether it's really all that great or not.  Oil pulling in India a thousand years ago or even today is a much different proposition with respect to the quality/purity of oil used, and diet and mouth bacteria in the modern West.  Oil quality, diet, and mouth bacteria could all have a big impact on the long-term effects of oil pulling.

Also to consider is that maybe it's not great for people with bridgework for some reason.

Anyway, just my $0.02.

Also FWIW, it's better to keep your own teeth if possible, but if you're too far gone then implants are not the end of the world.  But you have to get your mouth healthy or nothing will work.  Implants or not, if you don't get your mouth clean and keep it clean your jawbone and gums will keep eroding and you'll wind up with dentures.  A healthy mouth requires a bit of discipline in both diet and hygiene habits but it's very worth it.

Good luck.  PM me if you're interested in knowing more about my sitch.

A good "2 cents" from whodathunkit. I agree that iodine is a good addition (it kills strep. mutans)

Also, since you have diabetes, it suggests that something is compromising your metabolic efficiency. Some nutrients might be of benefit to you. Hopefully you're taking some form of mitochondrial energizers.

That's another good point. I was actually going to mention some nutrients but decided not to load everything at once. But since you mention it, CS... ;-)

CoQ10 is really good for gums. Since you're not in great shape, frapin, maybe you could start with larger doses, like 200 mg/day. Work up to 400 for a while and see how you do. But take it early in the day, it can be rather stimulating in high doses.

I hope CS or someone will chime in if high-dose CoQ10 is contraindicated in Type II diabetes. From what I recall, it isn't.

Also, try liposomal vitamin C. Liposomal C is more bioavailable than regular vitamin C. I recently had a really good experience with liposomal vitamin C...gave me an unexpected boost in energy with the supplement regimen I have been doing. I thought I was taking enough regular vitamin C but apparently not. A couple thousand milligrams of liposomal C per day would probably help you. Adequate vitamin C is essential for healthy gums.

I also swish my mouth once per day with a few drops of K2 (as MK-4) in some water. I don't know if it does anything but read that alternative dentists will pack old cavitations and the fresh holes left by new extractions with K2 and some other things to prevent infections, so I figure it can't hurt. K2 is supposed to aid in the formation of new bone and help keep current bone intact.

Thanks a ton for the detailed posts guys.

So my dental bridge came out and caused 1 tooth to become loose. They extracted the 1 loose tooth yesterday and also told me that I have this gum disease. In 3 weeks they will do deep clean and a Periodontist will then inspect my gums and teeth and see if they can put dental crown and implants. Otherwise they have to put dentures. I really don't want to put dentures at this age (38) so I am trying to get as much as info as possible to see what I can do to improve my situation.

Immortal - what are the mitochondrial energizers that I need to try? I am already taking Ecklonia, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Curcumin.

frapin - Do you take any Acetyl L-Carnitine?

The transfer of carnitines is usually quite low in diabetics. Also do you take any Vanadium?

Would suggest carnosine 1,000 mg also (not to be confused with carnitine).

no Immortal. I do not take Acetyl Carnitine. How many mgs should I take per day?

What is carnosine? why is it used? can you recommend a good brand?

Have you looked into the calcium therapy products at calciumtherapy.com?  They are specific for gum disease.  The site owner, Dr. Mark Manhart,
is vehemently opposed to the "deep cleaning."  I had been told I needed this by the last dentist I saw, also that I needed a number of extractions, and dentures.
That was a couple of years ago.  I chose to go with the calcium therapy as well as other things like oil pulling etc.,  and haven't regretted it.   Dr. Manhart is very
responsive to questions, perhaps you could ask him about your situation.
Transcript of interview with him:
http://www.calciumtherapy.com/latest-news/making-sense-of-dental-care-interview-with-dr-mark-manhart-dds/

I was also in communication with a woman who had very aggressive periodontal disease.  She went through numerous deep cleanings before she
finally healed it with orthomolecular doses of vitamin C. Here are a couple of extracts from her communications to me:

My gums continue to improve daily! Ive been taking 2 - 5 grams of vitamin c everyday now for 10 months now - my receding gums are growing back! This is something every dentist and periodontist I have seen has said is impossible! Every time I used to eat, food would collect in pockets between my gums and it was very painful. That no longer happens because the space is now filled with new, healthy gum tissue!
I started at 20 grams a day and then gradually tapered down. Your stomach will tell you when you are nearing to much because you will get diarrhea! Gross, I'm sorry, but helpful to know

At least for me, all the dental treatments were nothing but band aides, they would help for a month or two and then the bleeding would start again - since starting the vitamin C, plaque and tarter do not build-up on my teeth and below my gum lines anymore! I went for a cleaning about a month ago - after not having a cleaning for 9 months and the hygienist told me there was nothing to clean! This, after years of going in for cleanings every 3-4 months!

And I've heard of this happening to others as well.

frapin wrote:no Immortal. I do not take Acetyl Carnitine. How many mgs should I take per day?

What is carnosine? why is it used? can you recommend a good brand?

Would check out what Delphine just mentioned as well. I often recommend this to people under certain circumstances.

What is Carnosine?

If you're interested in dealing with the negative effects of diabetes easier, this is the supplement for you. Or, if you like anti-aging, it is also good. Taken with Lipoic Acid, ALC, you have a powerhouse in your favor. Carnosine is the most effective anti-aging supplement (this is quite helpful for diabetics also).

http://www.iherb.com/Now-Foods-L-Carnosine-500-mg-100-Vcaps/457?=hil335

The ALC, its 1,000 mg per either 100 mg of stablilzed R-Lipoic Acid or 200 to 300 mg of alpha lipoic acid.

Hey CS--what dose carnosine do you recommend? How many times per day? On empty stomach or with food? In combo with other amino acids (like the carnitines) or by itself?

whodathunkit wrote:Hey CS--what dose carnosine do you recommend?  How many times per day?  On empty stomach or with food?   In combo with other amino acids (like the carnitines) or by itself?

The dose should be at least 1000 milligrams. Personally I like to take it with meals (however it can also be taken without food). I like to stack it with ALC and Lipoic acid. It makes it even more effective.

CausticSymmetry wrote:

whodathunkit wrote:Hey CS--what dose carnosine do you recommend?  How many times per day?  On empty stomach or with food?   In combo with other amino acids (like the carnitines) or by itself?

The dose should be at least 1000 milligrams. Personally I like to take it with meals (however it can also be taken without food). I like to stack it with ALC and Lipoic acid. It makes it even more effective

Thanks, CS.

You know, I've found that ALC doesn't really do much for me. I've been taking L-carnitine fumarate instead and wow! What a boost. But I don't take it after 1p in the afternoon because it will keep me up at night.

So...just to be clear...no harm in mixing the aminos. Can take with or without food, along with lipoic acid.

1000 mg 3x/day? Or is 1000mg/day enough?

Will carnosine have any kind of stimulatory effect, do you think? Should I not take it after a certain time, just in case?

I would stick with beta-alanine over carnosine. It's far cheaper and actually increases blood plasma levels higher than carnosine itself.

We get enough histadine in our diets without worrying about it converting over to carnosine. Although the elderly have a greater potential for being histadine deficient, and might want to supplement with an additional amount.

whodathunkit - I've noticed that too, in some others about fumarate Carnitine. I've tried different combinations, experimentation is always worth it.

a 1,000 mg is usually enough, however more is better in this case (however more expensive).

Yes, it's safe to mix these together.

With the carnitine, yes a stimulation effect....however with Carnosine no, in fact it will help sleep quality.

Thanks, CS. Appreciate the help. FWIW, I've tried mixing LCF and ALC (LCF morning, ALC couple times through the day), but don't really seem to get anything from it. But I still have a whole bottle so will try again in the near future. Things are changing all the time these days.

4039: beta-alanine makes me flush and my face itch. Doesn't seem to help when I take it with food and doesn't seem to go away over time if I keep taking it. I took it for about a month hoping it might help with some gray hair. But I may give another whirl in the future as I still have some on hand, and as I said above, things are changing all the time.

Having experimented with both Carnosine and Beta-alanine over the years. I find Carnosine simply better. While it might be true that muscle carnosine levels are higher with Beta-alanine, the dose also needs to be higher (ends up be more costly). Plus the L-Histadine provides enormous advantages (hair wise especially), despite being something the diet has plenty of.

Plus, yes the itch effect from Beta-Alanine can be annoying. From a hair and anti-aging perspective Carnosine beats Beta-Alanine by a mile.

Best thing I've found for plaque/tartar is eucalyptus

Supplementary CoQ10 is supposed to be good.

For type 2 diabetes I believe apple cider vinegar is commonly seen to be best