Addiction, Recovery Forum - Picking At My Gums

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Q: Picking At My Gums

asked by: Marianne0558 on September 11th, 2007

Supporter

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.

Replies(10)

Dale123

replied on September 11th, 2007

Active User, very eHealthy

Re: Picking At My Gums

Marianne0558 wrote:

Have you been to a doctor.. What has your dentist said?

Marianne0558

replied on September 11th, 2007

Supporter

Re:

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.

betsybk

replied on March 10th, 2009

New User

Me too!

You are not alone. I have been picking at my gums (among other things) for years! I also have picked my pinky fingernail too the quick all the time. I have not had a normal nail for at least 7 years. It doesn't hurt me either. And, I recently started picking at a place in my ear? Uggg! I also use several types of "tools" to pick. I wear a bandaid on my fingernail, but I pick it when I change the bandaid without even realizing it. I sit & watch TV, read, etc & pick at my ear. (again, without realizing it) I have now had 3 teeth pulled & I have 2 more tomorrow, so that has put a stop to me picking at my gums right now. I don't know if my post is helpful or not, but I wanted to let you know you are not alone. I am a 52 year old grandmother who is very busy - so, it is not from boredom. Hope you can kick your habits better than me!

tachon

replied on April 30th, 2009

New User

picking gums

yur gonna get gum reccession and that is going to hurt..

cara1982

replied on May 11th, 2009

New User

your not alone

No resolution for you. But i also do the exact same thing. It doesn't hurt or what I think most people would think hurts feels good to me. I go through phases with it. Actually I got better about it when I had made a dentist app. a while ago. Just didn't want him to see what I had been doing to my gums. It would prolly take will power upon yourself. I know I don't like doing it when I'm around people I'm not completely comfortable with. Maybe put yourself out there more???

Good Luck!!!

sassy1

replied on May 19th, 2009

New User

thought i was the only one

I too have picked my gums since i was a small child. my tool of choice is a piece of plastic usually rolled into a sharp point like from a cigarette pkg. and if my teeth feel dirty im worse. I also have healthy teeth, but lately one in the back has beginning to hurt of course around the bottom. its a nervous type thing for me. I bite my nails, bite my cheeks inside and lips or pick at my hair. this could also be a type of OCD ( obsessive compulsive disorder)

cara1982

replied on May 21st, 2009

New User

Hmmm

That's actually funny. Even though really it isn't. I do all the same things. My "weapon" of choice was actually bitting off part of my fingernail and using that. Grose I know.

The only reason I think I have been able to quit doing it for the most part is because socially it is undesirable. If I had something in my mouth picking at my gums I know I looked funny and other people could tell and I wouldn't talk unless necessary because maybe they would see my "weapon". LOL.

Kinda like sucking my thumb. It was for me more embarassing that I was doing it, so it made it easier to quit.

Idontneedanotheraccout

replied on October 21st, 2009

New User

Finger Nails In Gums

I have been doing this for as long as I know. I am 24 and have not had normal length fingernails since I can remember. I bite my nails and use the nail to slide and in out of and between my teeth. The more it hurts, the harder I push (feels good). My gums used to bleed but hardly do they ever now. I know it is a gross habit but I have tried to stop. I went a week without biting my nails off but when they grow out, I have an ever larger urge to bite them off! I even purchased a brush to clean under them (I hate dirt under my nails) which helped, but not for long. As I type this now, I have a nail in my mouth and I am constantly poking into my gums and between my teeth. I have tried gum but that only makes me hungry. It is easy for someone to tell you to stop but it does not help. When I get nervous, I bite my nails and I don't even know I did it until I physically catch myself. I asked my mother about it a while back and she said she used to do it when she was younger...Interesting enough. OK, Thanks for listening!

nothanks

replied on November 19th, 2009

New User

I have done the same thing my entire life (parents said I started around 2 yrs old and I'm 27. I bite my fingernails as far down as I can (sometimes they bleed) and chew and poke them into my gums. Horrible.

I have random times that I can stop, twice a year maybe for a whole week or two. It usually helps if I have someone that knows that I do it (my wife now) who can act as a support and do spot checks daily to make sure that I didn't chew them off.

I'm so glad I'm not completely alone. We need a psychologist in here, stat!

nail_chewer

replied yesterday 04:50

New User

26 yo male

hi 26yo here, i have bitten my nails and pick my teeth with them. I get the strongest urges to do this when I have eaten something like popcorn or ribs and have food stuck between my teeth. I am very resourceful when there is no more nail left on any finger to create a pick; I use straws shaped sharp with a bite and pull with my front teeth, various paper and plastic folded into a triangle shape, pieces of sunflower seed shells (very similar to a finger nail), and various other things. For someone looking for a more public option, you must try the Oral-B tooth pics, which arr rubber tipped and textured. Only downside to the oral B pick is the large diameter, so those looking to poke them all the way through will have to work at it. BTW, i have simaltaneously had as many as 6 nails through various gaps in my teeth at once, anyone else do this in particular?

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