Her Gums Bleed Every Morning And Are Pulling Back. Here Is What I Told Her To Do At Home First.
A 63-year-old reader's dentist mentioned a gum graft. As a dermatologist I see a collagen problem, and a 12-minute daily routine that reaches it.
Board-certified dermatologist, 24 years in practice
I read every letter that comes in. This week, more than half were about gums.
This week's letter
Dear Dr. Elena,
I'm 63. My dentist says my gums are receding and wants to talk about a graft. My teeth look longer every year, and my gums bleed every morning when I brush. I floss, I use the rinse he gave me, and it keeps getting worse.
Is there anything I can do at home first?
Dear Worried,
First, keep that appointment. A graft is a real conversation to have with your dentist, and you should have it with all the facts.
But I can tell you what is happening in your mouth, and what you can start at home tonight, because I watched it happen to my mother and then I saw it start in my own mouth.
My mother brushed twice a day and still lost her teeth
My mother brushed twice a day her whole life. Her gums bled a little in the mornings, then looked puffy, then slowly pulled back until her teeth looked long. Her dentist said what yours is saying: keep it clean and we'll keep an eye on it.
She ended up in a full denture. Her teeth were never the problem. The tissue holding them gave way.
At 52 I saw my own gum line pulling back from one lower tooth, exactly the way hers did. That is when I stopped thinking like a daughter and started thinking like a dermatologist.
Your gums are made of collagen, and collagen slows down after 50
For 24 years I have worked with one tissue: collagen, the protein that keeps skin firm. Gums are made of the same thing. Collagen fibres anchor your gum tissue to the root of each tooth and keep it snug around the neck of the tooth.
After 50 the body makes less collagen every year. On your face that shows as thinner, looser skin. In your mouth it shows as gums that look thinner and redder, bleed when you brush and pull back from the teeth. That is why your teeth look longer every year.
Why brushing, flossing and rinses don't reach it
You are doing the right things. Keep doing them. But a toothbrush, floss and a rinse all work on the surface: they clear plaque and bacteria off the teeth and the gum line.
None of them reach the collagen layer underneath, which is where the firmness of your gums comes from. That is how someone can brush perfectly and still watch their gums recede.
What red and near-infrared light do
In dermatology we have used red and near-infrared light on aging skin for decades. Red light at 630nm calms inflamed, irritated tissue. Near-infrared at 850nm passes deeper and supports the cells that make collagen. It is gentle, warm at most, and nothing about it is sharp.
Nobody had put it where my mother needed it: at the gum line.
So I had a mouthpiece built
I worked with an engineer on a soft, clear mouthpiece lined with 32 LEDs, red and near-infrared, that covers the whole gum line. It is cordless and charges on a small round base. You bite down gently, press one button, and it runs a 12-minute cycle and switches itself off. I use mine in the evening while I read.
We called it GumLight. Within a few weeks my gums bled less when I brushed. By two months they looked pinker and felt firmer than they had in years.
See GumLight and today's sale price
What 30 volunteers noticed in 60 days
I did not want to rely on my own mouth, so I asked 30 volunteers aged 51 to 74, all with gums that bled or were pulling back, to use it at home every day for 60 days alongside their normal dental care.
Home use, 12 minutes a day, alongside each volunteer's usual brushing, flossing and dental visits.
What I would do in your place
- Keep your dentist appointment and your cleanings. Ask about the graft, and ask for your gum measurements so you have a starting point.
- Keep brushing gently twice a day and keep flossing.
- Add 12 minutes of red and near-infrared light at the gum line every day, so the tissue underneath gets attention too.
- Look again in six weeks: bleeding, colour, how firm they feel. Write it down and show your dentist.
Start now, before anyone mentions dentures. Early is the best time to look after the gums you have.
Start the 12-minute routine: see today's sale
Warmly,Dr. Elena Matthews, MD
Mantle GumLight
Red + near-infrared light at the gum line, 12 minutes a day
- 32 LEDs: 630nm red to calm red, puffy gums and 850nm near-infrared for the collagen underneath
- Less bleeding when you brush, gums that look pinker and feel firmer
- Cordless and rechargeable. Bite gently, press one button, done
- Free US shipping and a 90-day money-back guarantee
More letters this week
Dear Dr. Elena, will it hurt? My teeth are sensitive and I flinch when the hygienist uses the cold air.
Dear Nervous,
It won't. There is no heat you would call hot, no vibration, no needles, and the only thing touching your mouth is a soft, smooth mouthpiece. Light doesn't trigger cold sensitivity. Most of my volunteers forgot it was in after a few minutes and read or watched TV.
Dear Dr. Elena, I already wear a partial on the bottom. Is it too late for the rest of my gums?
Dear Hopeful,
No. The gums around your remaining teeth are still collagen, and they still deserve attention every day. Take the partial out, run the 12 minutes, put it back. Looking after the teeth you have is the whole point.
Dear Dr. Elena, my husband's gums bleed every time he flosses. He says that's normal at our age. Is he right?
Dear Concerned,
Common, yes. Normal, no. Healthy gums don't bleed when they are touched; bleeding means the tissue is inflamed. Have him mention it at his next cleaning and keep flossing. Then do what a lot of couples who write to me do: get one each and sit down together for the 12 minutes in the evening.
Dear Dr. Elena, how long before I notice anything?
Dear Impatient,
Most of my volunteers said their gums bled less when brushing within the first two to three weeks. Colour and firmness take longer: give it six to eight weeks of daily use. It is a routine, like skincare. It works because you do it every day.
My answer to every letter this week comes back to the same thing: keep seeing your dentist, and start the 12 minutes at home now, while the sale is on.
Mantle GumLight
Red + near-infrared light at the gum line, 12 minutes a day
- 32 LEDs: 630nm red to calm red, puffy gums and 850nm near-infrared for the collagen underneath
- Less bleeding when you brush, gums that look pinker and feel firmer
- Cordless and rechargeable. Bite gently, press one button, done
- Free US shipping and a 90-day money-back guarantee
Dr. Elena Matthews, MD is a board-certified dermatologist with 24 years in practice. She answers reader letters about aging skin, collagen and the mouth.