24 years of itching gums! Can you explain it?

Curious- Is there anyone here who's gum itch did NOT start after receiving metal fillings, metal caps, a metal containing root canal, or metal braces? I ask because I am starting to link my endocrine problems to a time following my dentist installing 9 metal fillings into my back teeth, then wearing metal braces at the same time. Going back to the gum issue... When I was 7 years old, my dentist installed metal caps on all of my jaw teeth, thinking those were permanent teeth. Shortly after, i started complaining to my mother that it felt like something was stuck between my teeth, or under my gums. This strange sensation soon became the full fledged itch I have now. But because the teeth that were capped were actually baby teeth, they all eventually fell out. Between that age, until age 14, I had no metal in my mouth, and had no itch. Then at 14, I got the fillings and braces, causing not only the itch to return in 2 spots, but my whole endocrine system fell apart. So to repeat my question- anyone here have itchy gums, that can NOT be linked to metal fillings, caps, braces, or a root canal? Could this be a possible link?

I've never had any metal in my mouth, although I am itchy. An allergist could test you for allergies to metals and see if this is the cause for you?

Oh. My. Gosh. Like all of you, I thought I was the only one! I have had this problem since I was at least 5 years old. My itch is right in between my top front teeth, on the back side (facing my throat, not out my mouth). It used to itch so much I'd put my knuckle in there and twist it around. Eventually my knuckle swelled up and developed a huge callous. And of course I've also stuck random sharp things up there, but pretty much no matter what I do, it still itches. After I scratch it, then it will just hurt...and itch. I asked my dentist about it once, and he said that I probably got a small cut there and it got infected and that's why it itches...and it should go away in a few weeks. Well, it's been about 10 years since he said that! And it still itches. Big surprise. If anyone gets an answer to this please tell me!!!!!!!

Hello fellow itching gums public,

I  am 26 and have had this for about 10 years. It started on the roof of my mouth, then went down the back, then down the throat. Then the gums around my wisdom teeth started itching like crazy, I have picked at them like crazy with everything, toothpicks a favorite to the point where I have pushed back my gum. I have flossed like crazy to the point where the gums around my wisdom teeth is white and cut and looks inflamed to the average dentist, but its not its just white from over flossing as an oral medicine specialist told me.

My alleluia moments came in the last year, after telling 8 different normal dentists and being ignored, or just offered cleaning (root planning) in the area by one periodontist, which felt so good for a minute because of how deep they clean then the itching came back!! I was telling people I enjoyed the root planning, they looked at me like I was crazy but I suppose they just dont understand the severity of itching gums. I went to see another periodontist, to get the other side of my mouth cleaned (root planning) due to my itching gums and he didnt want to do it. He said "GUM ITCHING, THAT'S STRANGE!!, I WANT TO REFER YOU TO AN ORAL MEDICINE SPECIALIST" He looked at my skin which has moderate eczema and noted that I used anti-pstchotic drugs so referred me. The oral medicine specialist checked me out, he said when I was speaking to him he could see I have a dry mouth. I told him about my excessive flossing around my wisdom teeth. When he looked he could see it, he put the itching down to dry mouth due to use of anti-psychotics as well as oral dermatitis because I have had this for longer then using anti psychotics. Treatments recomended by him are oral moisturizing gels and also using a small amount of steriod cream I use for my skin combined with the moistirising gel. He could not explain why it was particularly bad around my wisdom teeth but at least he acknowledged it! He gave me a discount as well and even he said it was unusual and despite his dental training he was a bit clueless.

I also found a website called skin pick and was finally amazed to have another human being acknowledge this picking issue. Be careful while picking though as I have experience and we pickers can over pick, and the gums dont repair themselves.

POSSIBLE CAUSES OF ITCHING GUMS -

- Dry mouth

- Medicines, side effects of chemotherapy

- Oral allergies and oral dermatitis

- Fungal

- Eating certain foods for myself bbq sauce and drinks eg orange juice

- the urge to pick at gums may be a type of mental disorder or nervous habit for some people, or something they turn to while stressed

 

 

 

 

Dental doc has it right (partially.) Itchy gums are not a oral hygiene problem as many of you seem to have realized. Itchy gums are one of the primary symptoms of a food sensitivity. From mild physiological symptoms to the more severe ones, itchy/burning/swollen gums usually show up. I am currently battling a candida-type overgrowth which has led to severe food sensitivities. Dairy, primarily, causes my gums to turn into an inferno. Usually over repeated exposure, and builds up if the offender is not quickly eliminated. Acidic tastes in your mouth can be a symptom of a candida type overgrowth as well. A good test to see if you may be have something of that nature is to, first thing in the morning before you brush your teeth, suck on your tongue and really get whats in your mouth, then spit into a glass of water. Normal, healthy saliva will float on the top. If you see "strands" descending downward you may have an issue. Also, a tongue with a lot of white-ish build up is a sign. A great remedy to not only ease your gum itchy for awhile but to also clean your tongue and battle infection is Tea Tree Oil. Put 1-3 drops on your tongue & gums and brush as hard as you can stand it. Don't swallow; then spit out was you have brushed off.

To determine if you have a food sensitivity/allergy there are many avenues to effectively diagnose. An elimination type diet is a good place to start. Remove dairy, wheat, gluten, citrus, sugar, and anything processed from your diet for two weeks. Then re-introduce foods, one at a time, and take note of any reactions. You will feel like an addict the first several days. Then you will most likely gain a mental clarity you haven't had for years.

For more quantifiable results try an ALCAT Food Sensitivity test. Allergists to not test for sensitivities. IGE/IBE Blood tests are good as well, but are not as comprehensive.

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You will be surprised to learn how affective what you eat is towards your health. I have been on a dairy free & wheat free diet for a  year now, and most recently have cut out sugar almost completely. I drink only water, and try to eat whole organic food as much as possible. I have gone from a conventional diagnosis of anxiety/high blood pressure and non-allergenic Rhinitis which was to be treated with ear-drum surgery, anti-depressents, blood pressure medication, and acid reflux medication, to a fungal overgrowth which is treated naturally with whole food supplements. I lost 35 pound in 3 months (down to 5% body fat and no more to lose) re-gained the clarity I haven't experienced in a decade, lowered my blood pressure to the low side of normal, resting heart rate is now 48bpm, and exercise was not involved. My memory has become better, my critical thinking abilities have returned, and I don't float around in a mental fog.

I have been told by my doctor ( Holistic Naturopath ) that I am the most severe case she has ever dealt with. Take my word however, that it starts out with the small things first. If you notice something, don't ignore it. Acidic spit is the first warning signs of general acidosis. Itchy gums the first sign of food sensitivity. Food sensitivity can be a warning sign of something larger.

If you can visit a naturopathic or holistic practitioner, do it. If you can find one with a bio-feedback machine to aid in "diagnosis"(you'll learn why that has to be in /quot if you go,) do it.

I suffered for YEARS assuming that stress reactions from my body were caused by diseases that I know question the existence of. I assumed conventional doctors must know the best way to diagnose and treat problems since they are so widely accepted as the normal course of help. READ about health. READ about how the system works today. READ about your options. You should develop your own narrative to go along with the facts that are out there but it is, in my honest opinion, a system that has evolved into malicious force, naively destructive at best and conspiratorially aggressive at worst. Regardless, the additives and "ingredients" in food today WILL cause all sorts of health issues to not only develop, but worsen.  

 

 

I found this forum when I Googled "itchy gums" to find out the cause and possibly cure. I've had itchy gums for as long as I can remember. It's usually triggered by eating something tough, but I am luckier than many others who have posted here, who have it much worse. I too am sitting here typing with a "Christmas-tree" pick in my teeth. In college I met a friend who has the same problem. Some years later when we met up again and compared life notes, she said regular Vitamin C had helped her. In my case, for many years I lived in a place where I could eat fresh green leafy vegetables every day, and I did because it helped me with my anaemia. I also discovered that the itching had almost gone. Eating stuff like pork would bring it back, though. But it is not so bad.I'm female. I have no sinus problems or allergies, my health apart from the (normal for women) slight anaemia is fine, and besides having had orthodontic work and braces in my 20s, no other teeth issues. All my wisdom teeth were impacted and three have been removed; one is too deep and will require gum surgery to be extracted if it bothers me too much. I brush well so it has not become infected or anything, but when there is itching that wisdom tooth really goes at it. I guess there's no "cure". But it has made me feel oddly heartened to read about so many other people with the same problem. I'm 46 now and it's a part of my life...!

I just went to a new dentist a few days ago and asked him about this, and he said he couldn't find anything wrong specifically except for a little redness and slight swelling. He said it's probably just some weird nerves that are off-wired. I asked him if there's anything he can do about it, and he said no. So, I don't have a cure for anyone, but at least I know I'm probably not going to get one :(

The dentist gave me some plastic toothpick-like things and said to use them in the area that itches.

Best of luck to everyone!

You sound just like me. That constant itching between my top right molars has been like that for over 30 years It's getting worse. I take dental floss or a toothpick and just want to rip the gum out!!! I was actually at my dentist today and he said sometimes it's the old fillings the silver ones that cause that feeling. I am getting a new crown but have no clue if that will help. It itches worse than a mosquito bite. I can't stand it!! I feel your itch! lol

I have also had a similar experience with itching gums. I have been "fobbed off"by dentists and doctors who don't know why it happens. I take a medication for another condition and found it fixed the itching ( happy accident) It is called Tegretol and is used for dental or facial pain where nerves are causing the pain. Hope this helps someone else

Can I ask you- what sort of an itch were you experiencing? There seems to be 2 different descriptions on this forum: 1) A constant, actual itch, like a mosquito bite inside the gum... or 2) a hard-to-describe sensation that feels almost parallel to sexual arousal (but isolated to the gums, of course) and you constantly want to dig at it. When you do, it brings pleasure- like an orgasm. PLEASE forgive my description- I'm not trying to be vulgar. I really do not know how else to describe this horrible, never-ending "itch." I'm asking which one you have, because I am considering asking my doc for Tegretol. It can't hurt to try, but I wonder if it would relieve the type of itch (#2) that I have had for the past 33 years. Thanks!

Can I ask you- what sort of an itch were you experiencing? There seems to be 2 different descriptions on this forum: 1) A constant, actual itch, like a mosquito bite inside the gum... or 2) a hard-to-describe sensation that feels almost parallel to sexual arousal (but isolated to the gums, of course) and you constantly want to dig at it. When you do, it brings pleasure- like an orgasm. PLEASE forgive my description- I'm not trying to be vulgar. I really do not know how else to describe this horrible, never-ending "itch." I'm asking which one you have, because I am considering asking my doc for Tegretol. It can't hurt to try, but I wonder if it would relieve the type of itch (#2) that I have had for the past 33 years. Thanks!

Im so glad I found this thread! Oh my gosh! Please read my story!I am 15 years old (turning 16 in april) and Ive been scratching my gums since I was at least 7. I cant say I remember how it got started, but I would do it constantly. I've always had EXTREMELY healthy teeth, I brush my teeth with a sonicare, floss, mouthwash, etc. Never had a cavity, never had a problem ever. But my gums always itch. I kindof had a stopping period for a bout a year (not sure why) but then one day about last year I remembered the euphoric and (as some people said, please forgive me) orgasmic feeling of it. It feels FANTASTIC. Everyone is creeped out by it but it really does help me so much because it feels so amazing to do. But ive been doing it a lot lately....I use my fingernail after I wash my hands, tooth picks, business cards, water bottle caps, siccors, pop tabs from soda bottles after breaking it off and getting a sharp edge, etc. I always have a group of tools by my desk. I  also get a rush from the blood  that always comes, its like a video game. I keep going until it feels so amazing and then when the blood starts dripping its like the finale. I get a cup of water and swish in my mouth to get all the blood out and just stare at the cup full of dark red blood. I know I sound like a crazy insane person but I cant help it! My its a mental thing? I know how insane and nutty I sound but Im pretty normal besides this dark little secret. Because it is painful, no doubt, but its a GOOD pain. Its masochistic, really. and Im very addicted to it. And guess what! Ive visited a dentist when my parents were concerned, and he said it was no problem . "if thats the only thing he becomes addicted to in life, then you're lucky" is what he told my parents. and hes a very well known, old and wise smart dentist. .....Heres the issue, though....It used to be an any-part-of-my-gums thing, but ive really only been scratching in one specific spot for the past year and none of the others really do it for me. Ive done it so much in just that one spot that now the tooth is exposed, like where the gum would have normally covered it up. Its not 100% exposed, but its got a really good really visible "tear" where the bone of the tooth is extremely visible. and I can touch it. I read only that when you have that, you need this really painful surgery called grafting and I really dont want to do that. But I LOVE scratching my gums, and the dentist said its ok but he doesnt know about the visible tooth part yet...neither do my parents....I dont want to tell them because I dont want surgery. I really want to trust that my dentist said I could do it with no issues but at the same time someone someonewhere else on the internet (maybe it was here?) described the same condition I have and said he went through grafting. Should I try to stop? Can someone please help me? Im concerned. Thank you for reading, and for any advice you can give!_XXII 

i have had this problem since 3rd grade, im now 27...my root of my tooth is exposed and soon my dentist wants to do a graft to prevent tooth loss..it only itches around my 2 bottom teeth on the inside...although it feels so good to scratch i have 20 years on scratched gums too where the tissue wont grow back...so i try very hard to not scratch, bc im scared of surgery. They give you Versed which is a sedative that causes you not to remember anything that happened. Usually it itches when im stressed. I got stressed this week and I started and can't stop...hopefully it will stop in the next week...but it comes around every 6 months

I only get it when i get a cold ...best thing to do is get your tongue pierced and use it as a lil poker!  

I had the same issue for more than 3 years, i started taking vitamin B. it stopped since. sometime lack of vitamins/minerals can create this kind of problem.