Well, given that you said you haven't had an x-ray done in 2 years (I'm assuming a dental check-up) you probably have a lot of calculus/tartar buildup. Calculus is actually plaque (the sticky/furry feeling film on your teeth) that has been allowed to cake on for a long period of time. Bacteria are present in our mouth, and certain types (gram negative anaerobic bacteria to be exact) colonize the surface of the tooth and create a sort of mineralized structure (like a coral reef) from minerals in your saliva. Usually dentists recommend getting a cleaning at least once a year to remove calculus, particularly in the front lower teeth, and the upper back molars (where salivary ducts are present). Most people collect a decent amount of calculus over time, although I'm not exactly sure how the Paleo diet plays into calculus accumulation.

I am guessing that since the calculus had built up, the hygienist/dentist had to remove a larger than usual amount of calculus (and therefore needed to use more force, possibly the ultrasonic cleaner to remove it). The gums become sensitive when calculus accumulates in the area, due to the fact that the calculus is considered an irritant, and the gums become inflammed. Over time, the gums actually become diffuse and soft, and bleed easily due to the localized inflammation from calculus, plaque, and bacteria.

Now that you've cleaned the excess calculus from your teeth, your gums should return to normal in as little as five days, and the bleeding should stop, and the sensitivity should go away. The oral cavity is actually a very quick-healing place, due to the high level of vascularity present.

I am glad to hear you don't have cavities! Due to the omission of grains and sugars in your diet (as well as the decreased frequency of consuming food), you probably won't have another cavity in your life (theoretically speaking). I have found a decreased rate of plaque buildup on my own teeth since going Paleo, and I find that I rarely pull out very much when flossing (maybe a stray fiber of chicken or chard). With regular yearly dental cleanings, you should be able to sustain your teeth in a healthy state for a long time!

I am a dentist (boo! hiss!). Yes, I think that if everyone went on a Paleo lifestyle I'd be out of a job for the most part. I haven't yet told a patient to go Paleo to save their teeth yet, mostly because I think they'd view me with even more suspicion than they do now.

I switched to SonicCare electric brushes 3-4 years ago (before Paleo). My check ups improved 100%. VERY little bleeding. I floss at least once a day, sometimes two. Really "hook" 4-6 times in between teeth!

Check out Dr. Weston A Price, the dentist from 100 years ago and his issues with "modern" foods - sugars and grains. Insightful. Now it's the Weston Price Foundation stuff.

Give that hygenist an earful next time!! Good luck!

It sounds like you really needed that cleaning. You may not have cavities, but it sounds like you have gingivitis.

Whenever I have a "pocket of inflammation" by a tooth, in my gums, my dental hygienist (I have a regular one who does my cleanings) warms me she wants to clean it out and it hurts like how you describe.

I would definitely leave your gums alone for a few days to heal, then start flossing on a regular basis. I always floss twice or even three times and I still get food particles out on the third try!

Also, I use one of those Oral-B electric toothbrushes and my teeth get sooo much cleaner!

Now that your teeth are clean I would add a K-2 supplement to your diet to keep the plaque down, and start doing oil pulling to keep your gums healthy and make any plaque that shows up soft enough to brush or floss away without much work.

I second the suggestions to get an electric toothbrush. They really are superior to the manual kind. However, I'll also say that some hygienists have much worse technique than others. I've gone to some that are butchers and have destroyed my gums for weeks, to the point that I couldn't chew at all. Maybe the substitute you saw just wasn't that good?

Hi Soul!

I am a third year dental student, studying to receive my Doctorate of Dental Surgery. What you described sounds like gingivitis or the beginning of periodontal disease. My recommendation is to improve your oral health by brushing twice daily, and flossing once daily. If you can't brush or floss after eating, swish your mouth real well with water. And the proper way to floss is to see-saw the floss back and forth to gently pull it down to your gingiva. Make sure to scrape the mesial and distal of each tooth with the floss. Obviously I don't have to talk to you about keeping your frequency and duration of oral carbohydrate exposure low. As that is something I must discuss with most my patients. Good luck, let me know if this helps!

-Courtney

Try Oil Pulling + Flossing

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_pulling

Sonicare. GET ONE. Love mine.

Also if your gums are that inflamed then you (very likely) have a high level of generalized inflammation. Many people do. Good news is that there's a lot to do for that.

I recommend you consider getting your Cardiac CRP level checked as this is a great marker for following inflammation - baseline and improvements.

Also, look into Ubiquinol. I take a ton for my Hashimotos but I know people who have been helped greatly when they took it for gum disease or swollen gums.

I didn't see a dentist for about 10 years while my husband was in the Marine Corps. We were too poor for me to afford to pay out of pocket and none of the area dentist offices accepted the military dental plan (this was about 15 years ago). Needless to say that by the time I did get to a dentist, my mouth was a mess. We also ate terrible food so I'm sure that was part of the problem. I had some pockets that were 6, my gums bled every time I brushed. So I have periodontal disease but after a few years of quarterly cleanings and some antibiotic strips inserted into the worst of the inflamed pockets, it's pretty much under control. I use the Sonicare toothbrush also and I floss once or twice a day and I see the dentist every 3 months instead of every 6. My gums don't bleed anymore and my worst pockets are down to 3-4's.

Next time you go, gargle/swish with saltwater a few days before and after the cleaning. I have done it for years, and it helps the inflammation to calm down, especially if you had a particularly "aggressive" cleaning!

Check out the OraWellness system. Has worked wonders for my gums.

Going paleo really helped my gums, i was getting "pockets" (soft/recessed gums) but that totally went away with the change in diet.

I suspect that sugary foods and starches don't hurt your teeth by just causing bad stuff to stick to your teeth, but by generally weakening your body and how it protects and maintains your teeth, i.e. i think there is an internal component too. The work done by Weston Price is really fascinating, such as looking at the teeth and gums of identical twins, one of which stayed hone and ate the traditional diet, the other of which went to the mainland and ate the modern diet, and the former had great teeth and gums while the latter had terrible problems.

That said, in my last cleaning (which i do every 6 months) i had quite a bit of tartar built up behind my front bottom teeth. This might be age related (i am 42) or some aspect of my diet, but the hygenist really had to work on it to get it clean. I can only imagine how it would have been after 2 years. I admittedly have somewhat lax dental hygeine, maybe i should get one of those new fangled tooth brushes...

i never had too much blood at all during a cleaning and I attribute this to ubiquinol and vitamin c plus other good supplements however my dentist did the cleaning and went "deep" he said..for the first time i am tasting a mild taste of blood everyday and poor breath in morning which i never had since this cleaning.i am very disappointed in this cleaning as i never had this problem ever. i will try hydrogen peroxide and sea salt and increase c intake but apparently he went too far perhaps he was angry at something that day probably worried about business because people cannot afford dentists crazy prices and are not going.. and in nyc the rents are so high for business that they feel it all the time working for the landlord still i am disappointed this was the outcome

Find a dentist and /or hygienist who knows what a topical rinse and oraquix are....cleanings should never hurt even if you have gingivitis or periodontitis....inhumane and counter productive if your afraid to go back. The days of being hurt for your own good are long over....

Proper way to floss would be NOT to floss between your teeth, but underneath your gums in front of the tooth. Proper gum care is always advised.