Im not sure why I do it but iv been doing
it for 4 years now and I cant stop. I sit
there when im bored and pick bits of my
gum off untill I bleed it sounds really
sick but its just normal for me. I need
to no if therw is any one else that does
this and ave they managed to stop doing
it. I tell my self every night when I
brush my teeth before bed "when I wake up
in the morning im gonna stop" but I never
do
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poetmcc
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 25 Mar 2005 Posts: 273
Posted: 05-08-05 20:19pm
Hi jode omg I have the same exact problme
as you do. I pick my gums until I taste
blood. To me it actually feels good. I
even sometimes poke it with something!! I
have never tried to stop unfortunately.
Just to let you know you're not alone...
Sorry no one answered you...
|
jamapelval
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 25 May 2005 Posts: 2 Location: New hampshire
Posted: 05-25-05 18:42pm
I do the same exact thing, like once I
start picking at them I cant ever stop,
and then I have to like pick at them
harder, its almost as if they itch. I
thought I was going crazy because I like
how it burns lol.
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poetmcc
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 25 Mar 2005 Posts: 273
Posted: 05-26-05 13:57pm
Yeah I like how it burns too. Well we are
in the same boat.
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pittangel
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 27 Jun 2005 Posts: 1
Picking Gums Posted: 06-27-05 20:28pm
Wow, i'm sooo glad that i'm not the only
one who does this. I'm in my early 20s
and i've been picking at my gums for a
long time, since I was little. I
remember my mom taking me to my
pediatrician and trying to figure out why
my gums were so irritated.
I too like to pick my gums and eventhough
it hurts, I enjoy it. The bleeding no
longer stops me. Nothing really does.
When I pick them, I have a sense that I am
getting rid of something bad. But i'm
beginning to pick my gums away. You cant
tell by looking unless your a dentist, but
I can tell when I pick them that the gum
that used to be there is no longer there.
Does anyone know how to stop it? :?
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poetmcc
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 25 Mar 2005 Posts: 273
Posted: 06-28-05 08:10am
Hi pittangel,
well if you are really picking your gums
that bad, its not a good sign. You say
you feel like when it bleeds, it is like
getting rid of something bad and that is
worrying. Hurting yourself to bleed and
feel better is the same as cutting and
self- injury. You feel when you hurt
yourslef, all the bad things come out.
Yours may not be that bad but if you
really cant stop, maybe you should see a
Dr. When do find yourself picking your
gums? When you are worried? Sad? Upset?
Angry? Finding the root cause of why you
pick your gums so bad may be the reason to
stop it. :)
please see a Dr. And maybe you should
also check with your dentist to see what
you can do to cover the wound.
I hope I haven't freaked you out with the
self- injury info and all. I 'm sosry if
I misunderstood your situation-maybe its
not that bad.
Take care. Sorry this is so long...
|
BloodGum
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 08 Nov 2005 Posts: 1 Location: East Cost
Posted: 11-09-05 01:16am
I know exactly how you all feel. I found
this by doing a search on the matter and
info about it is hard to come by. I've
also been picking my gums since I was a
child. I rarely do it anymore unless i'm
bored or depressed.
Poetmcc's theory on depression having
something to do with it made me think.
Before finding this, I always thought it
was just masochism which I am partial too
in some ways. I don't enjoy excrutiating
pain but, some mild to moderate forms of
pain are strangely pleasant to me. I've
thought in the past that masochism may
have something to do with depression
and/or sadness because the physical pain
tends to take your focus off of the
emotional stress.
I have a really bad tooth that needs
pulling but, due to my last pull which was
a bad experience, i've been prolonging
getting this one pulled. It's the last
molar on the bottom left. I usually keep
it from hurting by brushing it frequently.
Today it got to aching bad enough to
make my jaw bone hurt so, I took some
ibuprofen which didn't do much. Finally
I decided to go the masochist route by
picking the gumbs of the neighboring teeth
with a toothpick. I like to get right in
between the teeth where the sensation is
most acute and wiggle the toothpick around
while slowly pressing it deeper and deeper
into the gum. I can only go so far
before it gets to be too much but, for me,
it helps to distract the brain from
focusing on the toothache. Also it does
feel good in a sense. It's like a
tingling sensation. It almost tickles
and even though it hurts as you press
deeper, the tingling/tickling is still
there which lessens the pain, making it
bearable to continue. I had some orajel
today to ease the pain but, ended up using
most of it on my sore gums. Even with
the orajel in place it is still
fascinating to pick the gums just to feel
that slight, tingling pain through the
semi-numbness.
I know exactly how all of this sounds but,
I really do believe that it is tied in
with depression and anxiety.
Also the tingling that seems to counter
the pain during the picking could actually
be likened to some forms of -it's really
not funny- midievul tickle torture. For
instance, in rome, gladiators were
punished by being tied to a scaffold then
having their bare feet covered in a brine
or salt solution. Afterwards goats were
brought over to lick the poor man's soles.
At first it just tickles really bad but,
even during the tickling, the skin is
slowly being rasped away by the texture of
the goats' rough tongue. After the
solution was licked off, more was added
and the process was repeated until the
victim died, screaming in agony.
Now I know that was a weird thing to bring
up but, seeing as it helps to describe the
pleasures and regrets of gum-picking, I
felt it necesary to do so.
Even though I understand this much about
the matter, I seriously doubt that I will
ever completely stop picking my gums but,
if you're desperate to quit then, you may
try chewing on a drinking straw or some
bubble gum or wax. If that doesn't work
then, you may have an anxiety dissorder
for which there is unfortunately no cure
but, there are meds that can control it.
I take prozac for mine.
Hope I haven't bored you all or creeped
you out. Good luck finding a way to beat
this habbit.
Edit: the next day...
Well, I just got that annoying cavity
removed. I was pretty scared at first
because of what happened with that last
dentist but, this new guy was
understanding and gentle and calming. He
pulled that motha right out of there then,
I sat straight up and said "thank god!".
After that we all had a good laugh and I
happily told him and his assistant about
how terrible the other dentist had been to
me. Now I know who my new dentist is
going to be from here on out.
Also my intire bottom left is super numb
and that should keep me busy with my
toothpicks for a while for entertainment!
|
JoeBruin
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 04 Jun 2007 Posts: 2 Location: Los Angeles
Bloody Gums Posted: 06-04-07 03:49am
I picked my gums the entire time reading
this blog!
Though I agree it is not a very healthy
habit, I disagree with poetmcc who
compares gum picking to cutting.
I enjoy picking at the gum right in
between my two top front teeth and
I bite my nails and floss with them in
between my teeth. I used to (and
occasionally still do) pick my gums with
the lead from a mechanical pencil, and it
often break inside my gum so I have to
pick it out. One time i got something
lodged up so far that I mom had to get it
out.
I definitely can compare this habit that a
lot of us have to an addiction. I quit for
a while, then when I have to stay up all
night and write a paper (like now) it
comes back again. Its really bad when your
in a public place or in front of other
people and you do it anyways.
Glad I could share that with you all
Someone let me know if you find a cure.
|
PizzaGirl777
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 03 Sep 2007 Posts: 1 Location: USA
Re: Picking Your Gums Posted: 09-03-07 07:13am
I pick my gums all the time, too. I've
been doing it since I was little. It hurts
and feels good at the same time.
|
gabenascar
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 09 Sep 2007 Posts: 1 Location: Tulsa
Posted: 09-09-07 14:16pm
I still poke my gums with a toothpick and
sometimes I take dental floss and makes
knots and run it between my teeth. One
time I a toothpick and drilled a hole
through my gums. When I smiled you can see
a hole.
|
Marianne0558
Supporter
Joined: 10 Sep 2007 Posts: 1619 Location: Charleston, SC USA
Thanks: 33
Thanked:5
Re: Picking You Gums Posted: 09-10-07 19:59pm
This is so crazy that I found a message
board about this! I thought I was the only
one.
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.
It's good to know I'm not alone.
|
JoeBruin
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 04 Jun 2007 Posts: 2 Location: Los Angeles
Help Posted: 10-25-07 00:35am
It troubles me that so many people are
experiencing this problem and no one can
help. Does anyone have a solution, or know
who could diagnose something like this?
|
luckydermatologist
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 24 Oct 2007 Posts: 2 Location: ,
Posted: 11-07-07 06:55am
i pick gums only for taste only . and
after finish taste i threw it.
|
BloodGumAgain
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 10 Dec 2007 Posts: 2
Posted: 12-10-07 22:11pm
WOW.
This is starting to sound like a fetish or
something...
I haven't been here in a while but, I was
feeling particularly, orally masochistic
tonight so, here I am.
I had another molar pulled about 2 months
ago. The Gum hole is almost half-way
healed but, still sensitive when it comes
to chewing food.
Anyway, my gum hole is agitated tonight
and I have an erge to pick it and some of
my other gums but, I'm going to wait until
I get through typing this. Making myself
wait is almost like being teased. This
teasing seems more like torture than the
picking itself.
Some of the latest posts sound so much
like me that it's just weird. "Prongs on a
fork!" :drools: "Drilling holes through
gums??!" I think I'm gonna cry. I've
wanted to do that too but, haven't worked
up the nerve.
That's it! Tomorrow, I'm going to the
dental section at Target and buying all of
those delicious-looking picking tools! I
can't stand it anymore!!
Oh no! We REALLY need a support group for
this! I'll check yahoo groups for one and
if there isn't one maybe we should start
one before we all loose our teeth or get
some awful mouth disease!
|
Gone2Far
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 03 Jan 2008 Posts: 3
Posted: 01-03-08 12:16pm
I used to have a bad habit of biting my
nails, but I've over come that only
because I grow my nails to pick my gums! I
know it's really bad and I shouldn't do it
but like the rest of the people that have
replied to this topic I enjoy it alot and
the fact that it bleeds doesn't stop me
either.
Ever since I was little I used to poke my
gums with toothpicks and sharp objects but
now I just use my nails to do it and I
need to stop cos just like Marianne0558
mentioned, my gums are starting to
disappear and I'm scared my teeth might
fall out. I mainly pick the gum
surrounding the bottom four front teeth;
front and behind.
I've been to the doctor twice about it and
all they've said is that it's all down to
willpower, which is REALLY hard. I've also
noticed that I don't tend to pick my gums
as much when I'm chewing something so I
guess chewing gum would be a good idea to
divert your attention from it for the
moment but I'd rather look for a solution
than a diversion.
|
Gone2Far
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 03 Jan 2008 Posts: 3
Posted: 01-03-08 12:17pm
Oh and Happy New Year everyone Hope you guys have
a wicked 2008!
|
bran1515
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 10 Jan 2008 Posts: 1
Hey to Whole Group.. Posted: 01-10-08 19:53pm
I feel compelled to say hello to everybody
participating in the discussion.
Discovering this page was one of the
weirdest experiences of my life, but not
in a negative way... I've been doing it
for years (childhood) and never gave it a
second thought...its interesting to see
how people can have hidden commonalities.
|
Stigmata
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 02 Feb 2008 Posts: 1
Posted: 02-02-08 06:59am
Absolutely amazing...
I've also been doing this since childhood
and was entirely entranced by the strange
sensation of pleasure and pain combining
into one. That tingling was sought, and I
would find myself doing strange things.
Like when I was out at a restaurant I'd
get some toothpicks as I left mostly to
prod at my gums.
However, later in life I now pay the price
for it. My gums are not in good health to
say the least. I'm likely going to have
to face some expensive and painful
procedures in order to graph some gum
tissue back to my front teeth, both top
and bottom.
I am happy to say I don't do this
anymore.
Sadly, it was a little too late. For me,
I stopped the moment that I realized I had
permanently damaged my gum tissue.
Staring down the barrel so to speak gives
you a newfound willpower that I know I
didn't have before.
I hope that the rest of you folks don't
end up in that situation. It's hard,
because that urge never goes away. I
haven't done it in about two years. Not
once. And I still have the urge that I
have to consciously tell myself to
ignore.
Good luck, folks. All the best wishes to
you.
|
kareem15
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 24 Mar 2008 Posts: 1
so strange.. Posted: 03-24-08 02:28am
i cannot belive how many poeple share this
problem, it makes feel better to know am
not alone. in fact i made this account
just for this problem, i started when i
was just a kid too i used everything
knifes, scissors, picks, floss you name it
i am now 18, i just cant help it, its my
only addiction. i tried to stop but every
who does it knows how hard it is, the is
so strong for me once a could not even
sleep. i cant belive that this problem has
no answer or cure. well Good Luck to you
all i hope some answers will come in time.
P.S. i also get the same urges in the back
of my lips and sides of my tongue
|
naturalearthtones
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 21 May 2008 Posts: 1 Location: ,
Gum Poking Posted: 05-21-08 23:00pm
Ok, well I had a tongue ring when i was 16
and now i am 27 the tongue ring was taken
out when i was 21 and while i had it in my
mouth i used to rub the ball against my
gums on the back side till the pressure
was really hard; and weirdly it felt good.
Then after i took out my tongue ring i
began feverishly biting my nails. and to
cut the nail biting habit i got acrylic
nails and then i stillhad to have my
fingers in my mouth! So i began using my
fake nails to rub the ridge of my
gums/teeth area and just keep messing w/
them. I mean countless hours spent doing
it unnoticing of it. It's just such a
yucky habit and I think about how harsh it
must be to keep depleting my gums but it's
literally a sick Habit that's hard to
quit.
so i can relate. wish there was some kind
of medicine that blocks that addictive
behavior part....arggghhhh
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This page was last updated on June 11, 2008
Hope you guys have
a wicked 2008!
