That's always easier said than done, isn't it? I'm sure many of us wish they had taken better care of their bodies when they were younger, but sometimes life gets in the way, long term impacts are unclear, and we overestimate our ability to "fix it later".
It's also important to not underestimate just how powerful lifestyle changes can be even in the face of (a lot of our potential) dire outcomes. Not sure about gums here specifically.
Reversing a condition once you have it is an order of magnitude more difficult to fix than to prevent, but if you're in luck and able to do so, every day now has the potential for taking a step in the right direction.
My favorite example of this is post-menopausal women regaining bone density, muscle mass, balance, mood etc. to rival women half their age in a matter of a few weeks (weight training). The same can be said for pre-diabetes, early T2, high blood pressure, addictions... the list goes on.
With regards to OP, I hope you find some relief somehow! I still have some baby teeth with very short roots; the second I get inflamed gums my pain level approaches levels were I can't function properly. What is the symptoms of receded gums?
> It's also important to not underestimate just how powerful lifestyle changes can be
Agreed, what's that phrase, "The best time to start was 20 years ago, the second best time is now"?
But it's also important to be a little kind to yourself, don't be too harsh on yourself for the things you didn't do or could have done differently. You can't go back in time.
That's always easier said than done, isn't it? I'm sure many of us wish they had taken better care of their bodies when they were younger, but sometimes life gets in the way, long term impacts are unclear, and we overestimate our ability to "fix it later".