Huachiman
7 posts
Nov 29, 2011
8:24 AM
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So I just had my 6-month dental cleaning and my dentist's only concern was that my gums bleed more than usual. Since I floss and brush daily he didn't think my gums should be puffy or bleed as much as they do during a teeth cleaning. Also I don't smoke or drink coffee, which sometimes can cause inflammation.
He concluded that I must breath through my mouth a lot when I sleep. Apparently mouth-breathing can also cause stress on the gums. It was only after my appointment when I picked up my harmonica that I realized that playing a harmonica every day could be considered heavy "mouth-breathing".
Has anyone had a similar problem with their gums or had it linked to being a harmonica player?
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banjotuba
5 posts
Nov 29, 2011
10:16 AM
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No. And the more I think about it, the less likely I think it's an issue. When I'm not playing harmonica, I'm usually playing some other wind instrument and it's never been a problem for me. You'd hear a lot more about this being a problem for kids in band if there were a real connection.
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Pistolcat
54 posts
Nov 29, 2011
10:43 AM
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Could be scurvy. Have you taken your daily dose of limejuice? Seriously, I can't see the connection. There's a multitude of variables concerning bleeding gums. Do you smoke? Have you taken an aspirin or related drug last week? Did you eat spicy, warm food just before? Do you have an infection creeping up elsewhere?
Maybe your dentist had a bad day, taking it out on your poor, innocent gums?
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Pistolkatt - Pistolkatts youtube
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Andrew
1487 posts
Nov 29, 2011
10:49 AM
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Wind instruments perhaps cause superstitions like this. A very old man in about 1980 referred to my oboe as a "T.B. stick", but playing it never caused my gums to bleed. And I've never heard of it in anyone else. But a harp forum is the right place to find out about harps at least!
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Andrew.
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The only good cat is a stir-fried cat. (ALF)
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FMWoodeye
63 posts
Nov 29, 2011
11:59 AM
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Well, since the dentist didn't see any disease process ongoing in your mouth/gums, you might want to bring it up to your doctor. Maybe some blood work is in order...or maybe not.
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Frank
58 posts
Nov 29, 2011
1:56 PM
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Do they bleed when you floss at HOME?
Last Edited by on Nov 29, 2011 2:54 PM
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KingoBad
994 posts
Nov 29, 2011
2:46 PM
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He is talking about a prolonged exposure at night, meaning you sleep with your yap open and/or snore.
You constantly re-wet your mouth while you are awake and/or playing unless you are a few chromosomes short of a hominid.
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Danny
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stones
71 posts
Nov 30, 2011
12:45 PM
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gingivitis is the answer your looking for. I have had my nose broken twice. it is nearly impossible for me to breath through my nose, I am a mouth breather,I sleep with my mouth open, but I have never had any bleeding gums.... that would freak me out. go back to your dentist and let him know what he's missing.
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FreeWilly
90 posts
Nov 30, 2011
2:58 PM
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Only connection to open mouth and bleeding gums I can think of is dryness.. Do you moisten enough when you play?
If so, perhaps take it up as an excuse to have your blood checked? Can't hurt, and gums are connected to your health in general.
Or just call your dentist and ask what thinks about harmonica/what you should do next?
But most important, whatever you do: don't worry about it! And don't stop playing the harp.
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7LimitJI
582 posts
Dec 01, 2011
12:56 AM
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http://www.sarkissiandds.com/articles/1009.html
Feck that!,I'm learning to breathe through my ass ;O)
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The Pentatonics Reverbnation
Youtube
"Why don't you leave some holes when you play, and maybe some music will fall out".
"It's music,not just complicated noise".
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Reverend Jimmie Jive
18 posts
Dec 01, 2011
11:41 AM
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well, if you were a sax player, I would say it is from the wrong sort of girls grabbing you and forcibly french kissing you when you come off the bandstand,,,, but girls are not at all attracted to harmonica players,, so that is not the problem,,,
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KeithE
190 posts
Dec 01, 2011
1:40 PM
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Questions that come to mind...
Does your hygienist or dentist use small probing instruments to check and measure pockets in the gums? Then do they refer back to the old measurements to see how things are progressing?
Are you using a quality electric toothbrush at least twice a day?
Have you considered having more than 2 in-office cleanings per year?
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BeardHarmonica
45 posts
Dec 02, 2011
2:14 AM
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You got gingivitis thats it.
Get yourself a waterpik and fill it up with peroxide 3% and water 1:1 ratio. Or dip your toothbrush in peroxide.
Your problem will be solve in a week.
Keep doing it once a week and you wont need to go to the hygienist all the time, peroxide works really good on plaque and kills gingivitis instant.
It's not toxic but don't swallow.
http://www.amazon.com/Waterpik-WP-100W-Ultra-Water-Flosser/dp/B000GLRREU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322820340&sr=8-1
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Andrew
1491 posts
Dec 02, 2011
3:04 AM
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If it were gingivitis, the dentist would have said, assuming he's any good. So you could get a second opinion, and if gingivitis is diagnosed, change dentists. Peroxide is a kind of bleach. There's also a mouthwash called chlorhexidine (Corsodyl) which may be best: http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/medicines/100003692.html
It usually comes neat with a sachet of mint flavouring which is optional: chlorhexidine on its own does have a faint taste of chlorine, which some may find unpleasant, but my parents' tap-water is just as unpleasant!
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Andrew.
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The only good cat is a stir-fried cat. (ALF)
Last Edited by on Dec 02, 2011 3:08 AM
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harpcrab
85 posts
Dec 02, 2011
8:48 AM
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"Bleeding gums" is most often associated with "gingivitis". Gingivitis simply means inflammed gums, however the term is bandied about pretty generically. There are many, many causes of gingivitis- plaque accumulation (plaque is comprised of colonies of bacteria) due to insufficient cleaning at home or infrequent dental cleanings, hormonal changes, weakened immune system due to other illness, some medications, mouth breathing (dries gums out), stress, specific foods, etc. LOTS of causes.
Gingivitis is temporary and reversible if the cause is transient. Most all of us have a degree of gingivitis at one time or another- it may be in specific areas (you have a specific pair of teeth where food gets caught every time you eat somthing stringy- you floss and it bleeds- that's gingivitis; you have an area you don't often get to with your brush or floss and it retains plaque for several days, then bleeds-that's gingivitis)- [Your mouth is FULL of bacteria- a virtual cess pool. There literally are hundreds of different species that live in YOUR mouth all the time- many waiting for a chance to cause inflammation/infection when their numbers get high enough or your immune system is weakend.] Or generalized through out all of your teeth due to less specific reasons (stress, lowered immunity, age, illness etc.).
The idea is remove the cause of inflammation and the gums get back to normal health. If gingivitis remains for long periods of time it begins to progress in to "periodontal disease"- the microscopic attachements between the tooths root and gum begins to break, pocketing forms (giving plaque, and the bone erodes away. This is permenant damage and is the most common cause of tooth loss in adults.
***research has shown that MUCH of this has to do with genetics- some folks are simply more predispositioned to gum disease than others****
Cliff note version- Your bleeding gums are probably due to temporary inflammation- will likely subside with time and good home care. If it persists, DO have it checked out further (systemic diseases and blood disorders/leukemia etc. cause bleeding gums as well).
BTW- I'm NOT a big fan of strong oxidizers (peroxides) on mucosal tissue- the benifit vs. risk is just not there in my opinion. Peridex is a good rinse- it's Rx only in the US, and really stains your teeth.
Hope this helps. Now if I could just learn to do that overblow thing!
Harpcrab, DDS
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Bluesharp- If you don't blow you suck...
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whiskey&harmonicas
4 posts
Dec 04, 2011
3:45 AM
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Wondering - would dental issues affect a wood comb that isn't sealed?
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FMWoodeye
87 posts
Dec 04, 2011
12:47 PM
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OR...would a wood comb that isn't sealed affect dental issues? Personally I run copious amounts of cheap vodka over my oral mucosa on a nightly basis. It doesn't kill all the bacteria, but it keeps them drunk enough that they can't do much harm. Sometimes at night if I'm very quiet, I can open my mouth and faintly hear them singing little bacteria folk songs...at least I THINK they're folk songs. Maybe I should try a mic.
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Greg Heumann
1362 posts
Dec 04, 2011
12:51 PM
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Your girlfriend doesn't have braces, does she?
Just checking....
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/Greg
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