This is the first article in a four-part series about metaphysical interpretations for gum problems based on the approach to interpreting gum recession, bone loss and other gum symptoms that I originally described in my book, The Secret Lives of Teeth.
As with any metaphysical discussion of oral health, this information should be considered as complementary (rather than alternative) to physical explanations. If you choose to follow any of these ideas, please use your common sense and also seek support from a periodontal or dental professional.
Mapping your gums
The health of the whole mouth is susceptible to what I call the ‘3 S’s’: secrets, silences and suppressed emotions. When you don’t express the thoughts and feelings that need to be acknowledged, distorted emotions seem to get trapped in the mouth, probably because its the body’s primary means of expression.
I often use a mapping approach to help tease out the particularities and nuances of a individual’s personal oral health challenges. The mapping metaphors of tooth archetypes and mouth meridians easily apply to different types of teeth and adjacent areas of gum.
However, when gum problems are widespread rather than localized, another kind of mapping system is needed. My metaphysical map of the gums is more like a cross section which goes deep through layers of gum tissue.
Gum symtoms can make more sense by looking at the type of gum tissue which is symptomatic.
My metaphysical gum map describes four main types of gum tissue: gingiva, periodontal ligaments, cementum and alveolar bone.
Each type of tissue plays a physiological role in the mouth which can be seen as parallel to psychological roles so that symptoms in these tissues may embody emotional or psychological adaptions to stressors.
Meet your gingiva
In this article I’ll introduce the gingiva, which is the surface layer of your gum, the part of your gums you can see and touch.
When gingiva is healthy it’s an even pink color, wet and firm to the touch (like skin over flesh).
It’s home to a diverse microbiome of bacteria and other microbes that can vary according to their location the mouth, as well as your lifestyle and history.
Gingiva is very sensitive, thin and permeable. It’s role is to protect and contain the nerves, blood vessels, lymph, facia, muscles and bone of the jaws.
Blood vessels are concentrated very close to gingiva’s surfacealong with a very dense concentration of nerves which makes your gums feel exquisitely sensitive.
Sypmtoms experienced with the gingiva can include bleeding gums, inflammation, swelling and gum recession.
Gingiva and inauthenticity
Metaphysically, there are two main themes represented by symptoms with the gingiva. The first relates to the authenticity of the image you present to the world.
Your gingiva can embody the emotional impact of not being seen as your true self.
It’s an issue that I’ve returned to again and again with clients of all ages who look back with regret for not speaking their true thoughts or for hiding some important aspect of their authentic identity.
This self-concealment inevitably started as a survival strategy in childhood. But by the time the gums start protesting, usually in adulthood, the habit of hiding your identity has usually outlived its usefulness.
Exploring what it means to express yourself authentically can be a powerfully joyful process. I delight in witnessing my clients overcome old habits of resistance, because this time they are motivated by the desire to heal their gums. Barriers to self-expression which have caused frustration in other therapeutic contexts seem easier to dissolve as part of a gum-healing project.
Sexuality and your gingiva
Heads up: The following paragraphs include mention of pornography and sexual abuse. Skip to the next heading if you don’t want to read about those issues right now.
The other main theme I’ve observed with gingiva symptoms is feeling out of balance with your sexuality. The link between gums and sex may reflect how similar gingiva’s sensitive membrane is to the delicate skin of genitals.
It’s really common for gingiva to embody shame relating to sex, which unfortunately many people feel in response to a wide variety of sexual desires and experiences.
Gingiva seems very vulnerable to feeling like your sexual urges are out of your control, especially when you act on them in ways that keep you isolated and ashamed.
For example, I’ve worked with several men with gingivitis symptoms who experienced their use of pornography as problematic. Porn use wasn’t the direct cause of their gum problems, but rather the emotions suppressed by disassociation and then shame.
As these men became more in touch with their feelings and free from their addictive behaviour with porn, they noticed that their gums were bleeding only days when they did indulge. Eventually they were able to stop their gums bleeding, relieve inflammation and pause gum recession (in part) by changing their relationship with pornography.
Issues with gingiva also seem to show up for some people who have been sexually abused in the past, even if it’s something they have ‘worked through’ in therapy. The reverberations of those traumatic experiences though out your life and later relationships can show up as gingiva symptoms for both men and women.
Listening to what the gingiva can reveal allows another layer of healing towards full expression of your authentic inner truth. Both women and men who have been sexually abused as children or teens have been able to support their gums by releasing shame and secrecy.
Supporting your gingiva
Gums are multi-layered complex combinations of bone, ligament and mucus membrane. They respond to all kinds of influences including what you eat or drink and how you floss and brush; as well as how you feel, what you think or how stressed you are.
Next time you notice your gums bleeding or other gingiva symptoms, ask yourself whether you’ve been recently been inauthentic in your self expression or out of balance with your sexuality. Working with these ideas may help your delicate, sensitive gingival tissues to become stronger, pinker and more resilient.
Further reading
Meaning of Gums Part 2:What thinning and sagging gums mean
Meaning of Gums Part 3: The messages in gum pockets
Meaning of Gums Part 4: How to interpret bone loss
Three foods you can eat for gum health
Toothbrushing tips for gum health
A home remedy for gum inflammation
Natural solutions for gingivitis
The Secret Lives of Teeth: Understanding emotional influences on oral health.
The Secret Lives of Teeth
Learn how to interpret the metaphysical messages of your teeth and gum symptoms!
The Secret Lives of Teeth is a clear and comprehensive guide teaches you a unique, complementary self-help approach to easing toothaches, enhancing enamel and gum remineralization and getting better results with necessary dental treatments.
Available as a paperback or ebook.
Has a dentist told you that your cavities or receding gums are your fault because you are drinking too much Coke, you don’t floss enough or you need to stop breastfeeding your baby? And you know that isn’t true!
I’m Meliors Simms, a natural oral health coach and I’m not going to blame you or shame you.
The underlying causes of your oral health issues are not your fault!
Nature or nurture, ancestry or environment, free will or systemic oppression, unconscious emotions or the degraded food system are the factors that make your teeth and gums vulnerable to disease.
Even though your tooth decay and gum disease is not your fault, it is within your power to change.
I can help you to turn your oral health around with natural strategies, healthy habits and intuitive insights.