On a recent visit to my dentist office for a 6 month cleaning and checkup some interesting information came up. The hygienist was saying that in recent studies the dental community has been talking about how acid reflux or gerd affects the gums. It may be acid reflux and not brushing too hard that causes receding gums.
I've been going to the dentist on a regular basis since I was a child. In the beginning I was taught the proper way to brush and always used a soft bristle toothbrush. I'll admit that I haven't always flossed and sometimes do not do it on a daily basis now, though I try. For many years now I have been using an extra soft toothbrush and then a expensive electric toothbrush because I was continually accused of brushing too hard.
Now there is research linking acid reflux to receding gums. Here is a link to the publication The relationship between gastroesophageal reflux disease and chronic periodontitis. My hygienist said the dental world might owe a lot of people apologies.
I suffered from acid reflux for 10 years or more. It took changing my diet and being more consistent with exercise to solve the problem. Although I no longer suffer from acid reflux I have damaged teeth and gums that remain. If you suffer from acid reflux I hope my blog helps you to resolve the problem sooner rather than later. You can read my first post to this blog here Overcoming Acid Reflux
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