My bleeding gums

[DexO]

So, I go to the dentist today like I do every 3 months for a cleaning. I have always been .... about my teeth especially because I smoked. I sat in the chair and the hygienist asked if everything was normal, change in health....etc. I mentioned that I was seeing some blood when I flossed.

Well, she starts probing my gums and bam! It looked like a Quentin Tarantino movie in my mouth with all the blood. She got concerned and I mentioned that I had quit smoking last month. She called in the dentist and he took a look.

Apparently, this is normal. He explained that when you smoke, the capillaries in your gums get constricted and actually hide the effects of bacteria at the gum line. I just have to go back tomorrow for a deep cleaning and have an antibiotic applied. He did recommend Listerine Total Care mouthwash to help. I immediately went to Sam's Club and picked up a 3 pack of it.

I did ask him about the other side effects I was having like losing weight, getting drunker quicker and being in a perpetual state of horny.

 

[wonner]

Pretty much what my dentist said.

But I forgot to mention the part about being horny.

 

[Notorious C.I.G.]

"the capillaries in your gums get constricted" That an effect of the vasoconstriction caused by nicotine, so if you're vaping nicotine, I don't see why that would change. Maybe floss more?

 

[rico942]

Well, she starts probing my gums and bam! It looked like a Quentin Tarantino movie in my mouth with all the blood.

Apparently this is normal, my dentist told me about the same thing. He's very knowledgable about vaping, and got me started after a double molar extraction 7 months ago ...

My first cleaning after ditching tobacco was pretty bad, they used a lot of water that day ...

Just had a regular cleaning last week, no bleeding as far as I could tell ...

Seems like there are some minor short-term bad effects from quitting analogs, before the great long-term benefits kick in ...

 

[DexO]

"the capillaries in your gums get constricted" That an effect of the vasoconstriction caused by nicotine, so if you're vaping nicotine, I don't see why that would change. Maybe floss more?

I am probably taking in a lot less nicotine that I was before going through 2 packs a day. I am a floss Nazi. I work from home and keep a thing of floss at my desk. I go to the dentist every 3 months because I do build up plaque faster than most. Well, that and my relatives in southern KY are all missing their teeth so I want to avoid that.

 

[devauto]

I am probably taking in a lot less nicotine that I was before going through 2 packs a day. I am a floss Nazi. I work from home and keep a thing of floss at my desk. I go to the dentist every 3 months because I do build up plaque faster than most. Well, that and my relatives in southern KY are all missing their teeth so I want to avoid that.

Well, if you do lose one tooth, hopefully somewhere near the front, you could have a built in "Drip Tip Holder" ...

 

[rico942]

Getting my first dental implants later this month. My oral surgeon tells me that the chances of successful retention of the titanium implants is about 40 percent better for a non-smoker, in his 25 years of experience ...

I will be his first vaping patient, and he's optimistic that vapor should have no negative effect on the healing of dental implants. Its apparently the heat of the tobacco smoke that increases rejection in smokers ...

This is taking place in Mexico, where a high percentage of implant candidates are heavy smokers, so the hospital where the surgeon works has taken an interest in my case. They will be tracking my progress ...

 

[Vapoor eyes er]

Smokers are about twice as likely to lose their teeth than non-smokers, according to the results of two separate 30-year studies at Tufts University in Boston that investigated the relationship between smoking and tooth loss among males and females.

In one study, male smokers lost an average of 2.9 teeth after 10 years of smoking one pack a day, while nonsmokers lost an average of 1.3 teeth after 10 years.
Another study at Tufts University, which looked at 583 healthy women aged 41 to 76, arrived at a similar conclusion: Female smokers who smoked one pack a day for 10 years were twice as likely to lose one or more teeth than nonsmokers.

When smoking I flossed 3 times per day and it didn't help. Still had to go for an intensive cleaning every 3 months. Dentist and hygienist told me it was the plaque causing tartar buildup from smoking which if not treated/ taken care of can cause gingivitis. From there, the smoker develops periodontal disease.
Now I floss twice per day and visit the hygienist for a cleaning every 6 months...in and out in 15 mins. Dentist rated my teeth 4/ 10 when smoking. 2+ yrs now and he now rates them an 8.5/ 10.

 

[patkin]

" Listerine Total Care mouthwash "

May I suggest what my periodontist did?

CloSYS - Dental Hygiene Products, Toothpaste, Oral Spray & Health Rinse

I buy mine at Walgreens. Best, gentlest, most effective thing I've ever used. There's a tiny vial of mint flavoring in the box to add to the bottle of mouthwash. After the first bottle, I don't use that anymore. Its just like swishing with water. Perio's instruction was to swish right before bed and don't eat or drink anything after until waking. It'll set you back more than other washes but you use less than half what you do of those (just enough to wet all areas of your mouth) so its actually more economical.

 

[StormFinch]

"the capillaries in your gums get constricted" That an effect of the vasoconstriction caused by nicotine, so if you're vaping nicotine, I don't see why that would change. Maybe floss more?

Actually it's more of an effect of the carbon monoxide in the smoke, or so I was told by my dentist pre e-cig use.

 

[Glenn_K]

Pretty much what my dentist said.

But I forgot to mention the part about being horny.

My dentist is HOT. I'll definitely put this on the agenda for my next visit....it could be teeth related, right?

Regards
Glenn

 

[Vapoor eyes er]

Nicotine:
The Good
In a series of experiments, the researchers found that nicotine could enhance new blood vessel growth in mice whose hind limbs were artificially starved of oxygen.
The Bad
They also found that lung cancer cells implanted into mice grew more quickly when the mice consumed nicotine in their drinking water. Mice susceptible to developing plaque in the arteries of their hearts also experienced more rapid plaque growth when exposed to nicotine than mice who were not exposed.

Also is being studied as a potential therapy for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, as well as chronic pain.

 

[DexO]

" Listerine Total Care mouthwash "

May I suggest what my periodontist did?

CloSYS - Dental Hygiene Products, Toothpaste, Oral Spray & Health Rinse


I buy mine at Walgreens. Best, gentlest, most effective thing I've ever used. There's a tiny vial of mint flavoring in the box to add to the bottle of mouthwash. After the first bottle, I don't use that anymore. Its just like swishing with water. Perio's instruction was to swish right before bed and don't eat or drink anything after until waking. It'll set you back more than other washes but you use less than half what you do of those (just enough to wet all areas of your mouth) so its actually more economical.

Thanks Patkin, I will give that a try!

 

[Oxtail]

Thanks for this thread. I had some dental issues a year ago that I thought were fully resolved. After switching to vaping, I was freaking out a bit because I was noticing some bleeding while brushing my teeth recently.

 

[steponmytoes]

Weird how you scroll through this website and you find a thread that describes almost exactly what you just went through/been going through. I just finished my deep cleaning session today... very unpleasant but necessary. I will use all the tips here to avoid another $$$ trip (no dental insurance). Never had a problem until I quit...no cavities but just buildup along my gums...

This thread also kind of reminds me how one of my alcoholic friends (now sober) would go on drinking binges for months with no health problems whatsoever. Soon as he decided to get clean, he started experiencing all these problems with his immune system (allergies, colds, you name it). In the long run he is much healthier of course. It's just funny how the body reaches homeostasis in a bad environment and once you change that environment (even for the better) the side effects can be unpredictably detrimental.

 

[patkin]

LOL Saw the same thing... including flu and colds he seldom got before. He said that high alcohol in the blood kills lots of bugs.

 

[DetraMental]

Wow I've been waiting for someone to explain dental/vaping issue's. These posts have been very enlightening!

 

[cybersue]

A vape store owner told me that her dentist diagnosed her with dry sockets. Anyone heard of this before?

 

[msgnyc]

A vape store owner told me that her dentist diagnosed her with dry sockets. Anyone heard of this before?

Only time ive heard the term is when I had a tooth pulled. They told me to be very carefully when smoking or drinking through a straw and to keep gauze/cotton in the area when I do so else I risk forming a dry socket.

The open cavity in your mouth could dry up and not heal over properly leaving the bone and nerve where the tooth was extracted exposed to air, food or whatever else enters your mouth and could be extremely painful. Thats a dry socket.

 

[LubeTech]

Dry socket happens to many people, smokers, non-smokers and others. About 2% to 5% of people, according to my dentist, get it.
When you have a tooth pulled, it leaves a hole, not only in your gums, but in the bone below it. Normally a clot forms, protecting the bone. If a person sucks on something (A straw, cigarette, APV, whatever) hard enough, sometimes that clot dislodges. Sometimes it can dissolve from alcohol abuse or over use of mouthwash. That leaves the bone and nerve exposed to air, food, fluid, and anything else that enters the mouth. This can lead to infection and severe pain.
I have never had it, but both my brother and my sister have suffered through it. Both, after having wisdom teeth pulled.