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Gum Condition

Dennis-La

New Member
On last camino,my gums at bottom back on both sides expanded and formed small bubbles of skin.After I stopped in Santiago,they finally receded. I asked my dentist and doctor,never heard of condition. Anyone have same problem,know of cause or prevention. I was thinking it may have been caused by stress,too much walking,not enough sleep,correct food. Any advice is appreciated before I begin walk this year.
 
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The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
Yes! Not exactly the same but I had similar weird dental issues toward the end of my walk that resolved by power-slamming vitamin c.

I have an utterly amateur theory that my feet were bogarting all if the collagen I could produce to maintain the connective tissue in my feet, ankles and lower legs - depriving my teeth of their "fair share". Since we need VC to produce collagen, my theory is that popping 5mg/day of it did the trick. The only other thing I can think of is that my mouth suffered from the lack of its daily martini to keep in in shape.

I guess the only takeaway here is that nope, you're not the only one who experienced that kind of dental issue.

But hey, trynwashing down a bunch of vitamin c with a shot of vodka each day and report back!

All the best and of course, buen Camino !
 
My gums were sore after visiting our dentist who used a floss stick on them. If using something similar on the Camino and not at home this may be a reason. Also could be because of different cleaning regime maybe. Try rubbing your teeth/gums with salt after intial cleaning, spitting out the salt not swallowing it. That has helped me this past week. I think I could be trying the extra vitamin C idea.

Edit:- Further reflection. Does a long period on a pilgrim menu leave one short on fruit and veg, so leading to early signs of the old problem of scurvy. That would disappear with the return to a normal diet or taking vitaminC. Just a thought.
 
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A selection of Camino Jewellery
I suffered from this the first few times I went to France in the campervan but I discovered it was caused by the hard brittle crust on the beautiful French bread. It made my gums aft of the bottom row very sore, I did as Tia said and rinsed with salt water a few times a day, this seemed to toughen up the gums and sort the problem. Could it be all the lovely bocadillos on the Way. :):)
 
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My dentist had me visiting the hygienist every 3 months for several years because they thought my gum health was so bad. Then I got tested for vit D and I was very low. Started taking 4000iu a day and within 2 months all my gum problems disappeared! I now take 1000iu every couple of days as my levels are back to normal. I think many of us cannot use the natural vit D - even if, like me, we are outdoors most of the time!
So maybe get tested for vit D level. It has a knock on effect for calcium and magnesium as well - so get them all checked. Hope it helps!
 
Ive had this problem too, but it only usually lasts a day like wayfarer says, could be the crisp bread or even soup/food/tea that is too hot could do the same. It may even be just caused by higher temperatures in the mouth. Eh bah gum blisters, another camino treatment David for you to sort out!!:)
Now will it be vitamin D or C ?
 
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The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
Don't know if this is related or not but I had problems with a tooth abscess on the camino despite having just been for a check up before leaving.

Interestingly, when I went back to the dentist on return he thought the problem may well have been exacerbated by flights and walking at some higher altitudes. He told me that height can have an effect on teeth, nerves etc! Afraid it did end with an extraction but it also got rid of the problem!!
Next camino taking a wee tube of strong Oragel with me in case of any more problems. I now have a complete Spanish vocabulary of how to get medication in the chemist to help toothache if that can be considered any sort of side benefit?!!
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
...Edit:- Further reflection. Does a long period on a pilgrim menu leave one short on fruit and veg, so leading to early signs of the old problem of scurvy. That would disappear with the return to a normal diet or taking vitaminC. Just a thought.

With those humongous ensaladas mixtas with every pilgrims' menu, and an apple, pear, or banana at every morning break stop, I never worried about scurvy. I was more concerned with gaining too much weight from that large pile of french fries that came with nearly every segundo, but in the end I still lost almost 5 kg by the time we reached Santiago.

Jim
 
This is all really interesting - one of the possibilities for gum problems can come about because of the hidden sugar in processed/cheap food. On Camino we tend to eat what we can get, without really concerning ourselves about provenance and ingredients - also, knocking back those ice cold fizzy drinks, and they are really full of sugar, and then, we have less opportunity for dental hygiene out there.
I am interested in the height thing - which is low barometric pressure of course (I have broken two barometers now, going over from France to Spain in a vehicle), and also interested in vitamin deficiencies - only having the face showing doesn't really allow the body to make Vit D from sunlight! - though, should we have a good diet at home it would take quite a while to appear ... I can see the crusty bread thing, but think (I may be wrong, I usually am) that there would need to be softness in the gums first, which would mean that there would be a problem already there ---- but this particular thing, of blisters at the back of the gums .. this is new to me ... I don't think I would like to lance those, nor try to fit Compeed or gaffer tape, so ....
on the whole I think I go with Wayfarer and the Jameson!!! as that will kill most bacteria if one swills it in the mouth for a while before swallowing - and will sneak a half bottle into my kit as suggested (hic) ;) or Veterano Brandy - if you do like shorts, or don't like them because they seem too searing, do try Veterano (a Spanish cheap brandy) as it is seriously smooth, non-searing, and delicious!

Thrush, though commonly a female problem, can cause red gums with small white raised spots but I don't think this is an issue here - I do so wish that I knew more (about most things actually).

One good tip is don't go to the dentist just before you go .. if they clean too hard, fit a filling not quite right, then it is you who will suffer - go a few weeks before you leave, allows time for things to settle down.
 
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This is all really interesting - one of the possibilities for gum problems can come about because of the hidden sugar in processed/cheap food. On Camino we tend to eat what we can get, without really concerning ourselves about provenance and ingredients - also, knocking back those ice cold fizzy drinks, and they are really full of sugar, and then, we have less opportunity for dental hygiene out there.
I am interested in the height thing - which is low barometric pressure of course (I have broken two barometers now, going over from France to Spain in a vehicle), and also interested in vitamin deficiencies - only having the face showing doesn't really allow the body to make Vit D from sunlight! - though, should we have a good diet at home it would take quite a while to appear ... I can see the crusty bread thing, but think (I may be wrong, I usually am) that there would need to be softness in the gums first, which would mean that there would be a problem already there ---- but this particular thing, of blisters at the back of the gums .. this is new to me ... I don't think I would like to lance those, nor try to fit Compeed or gaffer tape, so ....
on the whole I think I go with Wayfarer and the Jameson!!! as that will kill most bacteria if one swills it in the mouth for a while before swallowing - and will sneak a half bottle into my kit as suggested (hic) ;) or Veterano Brandy - if you do like shorts, or don't like them because they seem too searing, do try Veterano (a Spanish cheap brandy) as it is seriously smooth, non-searing, and delicious!

Thrush, though commonly a female problem, can cause red gums with small white raised spots but I don't think this is an issue here - I do so wish that I knew more (about most things actually).

One good tip is don't go to the dentist just before you go .. if they clean too hard, fit a filling not quite right, then it is you who will suffer - go a few weeks before you leave, allows time for things to settle down.
yes my fear was the expanded tissue might have burst while walking
 
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yes you are correct. this is an interesting problem and potentially serious. if they had broken,i would have been in trouble. fortunately they receded after i started home and eventually disappeared. i think the vitamin c tablets may help.i am not sure about any wine or liquor helping. my doctor and dentist really didn't understand the condition either. they could not grasp the concept of two ballooned tissues at back of the mouth.
 
I must make a plea for Soberano - a most excellent brandy-based medicine which can prevent most maladies but also soothes those it can't...
 
A funny story about gum blisters or gumboils.

Many many years ago when I was young there was a rogue who lived in our village who was affectionately known as gumboil, he got the name after some wag remarked that he would rather get a gumboil than deal with this chap.
Gumboil was long term unemployed due to illness and had to present himself to the local doctor every week for a sick cert to collect his benefits.
One week when he presented his cert at the welfare office the lady told him she could not pay him as the doctor had put a stroke (a stroke of a pen) under “illness”.
Gumboil got very indignant and told the lady that he had been a patient of the said doctor for several years and that if the doctor said he had a stroke that was indeed what he had and should not be questioned.
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.

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