The dentist measured my gum pockets and wanted to do a deep cleaning. I didn't get it done at the time.

In the meantime I get my gums cleaned 3 time a year, ate well, and did oil pulling (you can google it). It's a weird ayurvedic treatment.

A year later she measured again. Except for 2 or 3 teeth, all the pockets were reduced in size. I have no more 7 or 6mm. pockets! The dentist was pretty shocked because these things only get worse. I'm pretty sure it's the oil pulling because when I was on vacation and took a break for a few weeks, my gums started bleeding slightly which they hadn't done for ages.

Hey, I used this in another post and thought you would find it helpful. I had some recession + a few other issues and these are the maintenance tips I was given to help keep my mouth clean so things could heal:

Genetics and the levels of enzymes your body produce are factors for a healthy mouth. Floss daily. Swish your mouth out really good with water after meals if you can. Anything with a high sugar content is going to increase the production of bacteria, just be aware of what you're eating and drinking, scrub/swish afterwards if you need to. Celery, cheese, kiwi, and green tea will help keep your mouth healthy.

Regarding the celery/cheese/kiwi/green tea:

Kiwi can be used to keep a mouth healthy due to their high levels of vitamin c. If c levels are low the collagen network in gums have the potential to break down, making them more susceptible to gum disease. They're not non-cariogenic, but are in a low cariogenicity category, with berries, but their c level makes them valuable compared to the others.

Now I use these little soft-picks every night by GUM that look like trees instead of flossing. They're amazing. All in all my gums are healthy. Took almost a year, though. Good luck!

Brushing with terramin clay supposedly greatly helps with gum problems and there are even anecdotes of people outright healing gum disease by doing nothing but brushing with clay. I have no personal experience but I really want to give this a try.

Here's a link with some info http://starrymantle.blogspot.com/2009/02/cleaning-teeth-with-terramin-clay.html

@ Kelly ( that stuff is activated charcoal) and it does work.. Its amazing stuff.. Also, instead of tooth paste riddled with flouride. Use tooth soap! Love that stuff. Bleeding gums can be caused by lots of things. Genetics,allergies, some women's gums bleed before/during menstruation,gum disease, anemia, brushing too hard/incorrectly( which most people do). Oil pulling is effective as well. My gums used to bleed due to a flouride allergy, now w/tooth soap they don't bleed.

I was being treated for moderate periodontal disease when I went paleo. Since then, my pockets have reduced with no further special treatment and my plaque build-up is greatly reduced also. My dentist doesn't do anything more than regular cleanings now.

Two major things have helped to stop my gum recession:

1. Learning how to brush right. No more super hard back and forth motion. Now I do small, light, circular motions (kind of like how an electric toothbrush works).
2. Getting adequate vitamin C. I started supplementing with 500mg a day, on top of lots of C rich foods like broccoli and strawberries.

Other things that may have helped: oil pulling, flossing a few times a week, going paleo, becoming replete in pretty much every nutrient.

ETA: Oh also, sweet, hard fruits like apples and pears really seemed to aggravate the receding gums on my bottom front teeth. Could be a combination of the sweetness (feeding bacteria) and the pressure on my gums from biting into one. Every time I bit an apple, my bottom gums would start bleeding and they would look like they just got punched in the face.

make sure you never brush your teeth with a back-and-forth motion, always up-and-down. the former will wear away the tissue and cause recession. I use and recommend a sonicare toothbrush as it facilitates this action.

Nothing dramatic. I never had bad gums. But at my last cleaning the hygienist commented on how good my gums were. I hadn't done anything new except Paleo (Primal).

I have receding gums on my lower front teeth as well, with otherwise very healthy teeth. My dentist recommended first that I use a sonicare electric toothbrush, as it is very thorough but gentle. I'm not so into reliance on gadgets, so I took his other advice which was to brush the backs and tops of my teeth first, and save the front for last- toothpaste has rather large particles that can be abrasive to the gums, but this allows them to break down first. I haven't been back since I started, so I can't say if it's been helping, but thought I'd pass it on!

I have receding gums behind my lower front teeth, which the dentist attributed to a tight lingual frenum. So, an oral surgeon snipped the lingual frenum on both sides of the salivary ducts to take the pressure off the gums. I was told that more than 90% of gum grafts back there fail, so I didn't take that gamble.

I had some issues with gums a while back, my sister in law (in Venezuela) gave me a jar full of this black powdery coal...she got it from some nuns that she works with. She told me to smear it on my gums w/ water and after a bout a week it was pretty much normal.

She said something about the coal pulls out any infections or and promotes health again. Also gave it to me in a glass with water when something didnt agree with me.

I know they sell black coal tablets in the drug stores, perhaps try breaking one open and give it a smear?

Along with all the great suggestions above (brushing style, diet, oil pulling), I stopped taking birth control pills, which really seems to have helped reduce inflammation and bleeding. (I'm convinced starting them a few years ago caused much of my gum problems.) Pocket measurements back to 2 & 3, and no more talk of gum grafts from my dentist!

I want to try oil pulling but do you do it before or after brushing?

I've been taking oil of oregano (that came pre mixed with olive oil) to build my immune system. I noticed that my gums are no longer bleeding a few weeks after I started taking the oil.

No specific amount. Just about .25ml in the dropper, sometimes more or less. I started taking it once a day. Now I'm up to 2-3 times a day.

I'm so thankful because I have had bleeding gums for many many years.

Receding gums is usually one of the first signs of gum disease. This is controversial and some people believe mouth problems are all diet related but I'm not convinced that is true. I think gum disease is also genetic, I've got it and I've always had very good brushing/flossing habits. My father has it as well. I don't know how to cure it so I see my dentist 4 times a year instead of 2 times and have deep cleanings to prevent further infections. Here's WebMD's write-up about receding gums

A supplement called beta mannan cured mine. It contains aloe vera and vitamin e. Gum disease seems to be related to a weakness in the immune system and this supplement is supposed to strengthen your immune system. It took about three months in my case before the bleeding stopped and the gums looked healthy again. I'm not sure if there is anything to really help where the gums have already receded though. Basically it prevents it from getting worse.

Check out a good supplier of co q10 and consider at least 200mg or more per day for at least 60 days. It's helped me and so its a regular supplement for me.

Has anyone seen the latest post on Seth's Blog Flaxseed Oil Cures Bleeding Gums in Three Days

Anyone have experience with flaxseed oil curing gums?

i think unrefined, virgin coconut oil is the best for oil pulling. The health benefits of coconut oil are now widely recognized. It is naturally anti-microbial/bacterial and since that is what is causing the periodontis, makes sense to use something that will prevent bacteria from forming/advancing. Also, I use tea tree oil floss from the health food store.