Joined: 10 Sep 2007 Posts: 1743 Location: Charleston, SC USA
Thanks: 50
Thanked:6
Picking At My Gums Posted: 09-11-07 10:34am
I've been picking at my gums for as long
as I can remember. It started in childhood
with my fingernails. I would scrape at and
poke the corners of my gums where my teeth
meet until they bled. It didn't even
hurt-it felt good. Now that I am 23, the
habit is even worse. I can sit here for
hours picking at my teeth. They don't even
bleed anymore. I use whatever is small,
sharp, and pointed. From thumb tacks,
knives, the prongs on a fork, straws,
toothpicks, nail files, I could go on
forever.
I am really worried that my teeth will
eventually start to fall out because the
gums are beginning to disappear. The weird
thing about it is my teeth are very
healthy other than that. I take good care
of them, brush them regularly, whiten
them.
I started thinking today that this was
definitely a psychological problem but
I've never heard of anyone else having the
same problem.
I've tried to use orajel too. It doesn't
work. The tingling feels good, then I feel
then need to poke. I put orajel on the
tool and jam it into my gums. It just
feels good, I don't even know how to
explain it.
Wish someone could help.
|
Dale123
Active User, Really EHEALTHy
Joined: 01 Jul 2007 Posts: 697 Location: Barrie, On Canada
Re: Picking At My Gums Posted: 09-11-07 10:37am
Marianne0558
wrote:
I've been picking at my gums
for as long as I can remember. It started
in childhood with my fingernails. I would
scrape at and poke the corners of my gums
where my teeth meet until they bled. It
didn't even hurt-it felt good. Now that I
am 23, the habit is even worse. I can sit
here for hours picking at my teeth. They
don't even bleed anymore. I use whatever
is small, sharp, and pointed. From thumb
tacks, knives, the prongs on a fork,
straws, toothpicks, nail files, I could go
on forever.
I am really worried that my teeth will
eventually start to fall out because the
gums are beginning to disappear. The weird
thing about it is my teeth are very
healthy other than that. I take good care
of them, brush them regularly, whiten
them.
I started thinking today that this was
definitely a psychological problem but
I've never heard of anyone else having the
same problem.
I've tried to use orajel too. It doesn't
work. The tingling feels good, then I feel
then need to poke. I put orajel on the
tool and jam it into my gums. It just
feels good, I don't even know how to
explain it.
Wish someone could
help.
Have you been to a doctor.. What has your
dentist said?
|
Marianne0558
Supporter
Joined: 10 Sep 2007 Posts: 1743 Location: Charleston, SC USA
Thanks: 50
Thanked:6
Re: Posted: 09-11-07 10:39am
I have not been to a doctor. I didn't
really think about this being an
addiction/psychological problem until last
night. I found a forum on here that had
other people with the same problem, but no
one has offered a way to treat this
problem. I've been to the dentist, and of
course, all they could tell me was to
stop. I can't stop. I've tried. It's like
a constant need, which falls under the
addiction category. I really don't know
what to do.
