Hi Bex,

My gums were in perfect shape before I got my first amalgams. Six months later, they had started to recede. Ten years (and 7 or so mercury fillings) later, they were so bad that I had surgery to graft gum tissue to them to stop the receding. Only recently after learning about the mercury problem did I request the records and discover the correlation.

I know from reading your other posts that you have been through the mill with the mercury, so it seems odd that this would have started just last year. I don't have answers for you, but I do have a suggestion similar to Sandi's...

Please read the info at www.saveyourteeth.com (click on "the secret"). There is a lot of info there detailing what my dentist (and the one who removed Russ's amalgams) has found successful with gum issues and why. What he suggests is in addition to regular brushing and flossing.

I know that the dentist also tested me for the pH level in my mouth, and it was acidic, so I was given a list of foods that is categorized by acidic and basic. I don't know if that contributes to plaque formation or not, though. It may only relate to tendency toward cavities. Let me know if that is something you would be interested in having, and I'll see about getting it scanned.