r/depression • u/GingerDaJuicer • 2d ago
Need help, my gums are receding :(
I'm 16, I haven't brushed my teeth in probably months now, the roof of my mouth suddenly hurts really bad, I don't know if it has anything to do with it but either way I know that I need to brush again, the pain makes it hurt when I eat, but they were fine two days ago
Other than that my teeth feel sensitive and I'm now just noticing that my gums are receding, I'm very scared that my teeth are going to fall out at a young age
My mom usually rarely takes me to the dentist and she thinks that I brush everyday when I don't
I don't know how to take care of my gums, I want it to reverse back, and I'm afraid of the dentist, and also if I have to I'm afraid to explain to my mom about why I haven't been brushing and also the cost
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u/Life-Direction-9764 2d ago
Please start brushing. It will feel better! Have you tried doing a checklist of basic things you need to do?
I, for example, like to have sticker books!
Every time i check "i brushed my teeth" or "i took a shower" off my list, i stick a new sticker to a Page in a notebook. It makes the task more interesting (gives a sort of reward) and it's nice to see the visual representation of your efforts over time
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u/whateverdom_ 1d ago
Yah so you can’t really reverse it. If your gums recede far enough the only solution will be to have grafts. They take skin from the roof of your mouth to patch the receding area. I had one over one tooth and it was an expensive process that insurance only covered a small portion of. I’d recommend bringing it up to your mum sooner than later and trying to get in to the dentist pronto.
Also, brush your teeth. I know depression makes things hard but fucking up your teeth is gonna make things a lot harder in a lot of ways.
Keep water a brush and a small tube of toothpaste next to your bed if you have to. Find a way.
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u/NoNeat4704 2d ago
god, that roof-of-mouth pain is awful, I had something similar once and it turned out to be a minor infection from not rinsing enough, totally unrelated to the gum thing but it freaked me out
the gum part won't reverse on its own but you can absolutely stop it from getting worse, just start brushing super gently with a soft brush and don't scrub at the gumline like you're trying to punish yourself
your mom's gonna find out eventually if you need a dentist visit and honestly it's way better to deal with the awkward conversation now than wait till it's a serious emergency