i am a student in high school, i started dipping to cut weight for wrestling so i have only been using for about 8 months, 2 days ago i was home alone and dipped all day for almost 12 hours, before hand my mouth had no sores or nething and i had recently visited the dentist. However after dipping all day there looks like dead white skins around the base of my teeth by the gums and they are extremely sore. i am really worried that i have something and am looking to anyone for advice on waht to do or if you would consider a serious problem thanks alot! i

The soft tissues of the mouth can be damaged easily by chewing tobacco held in the same spot for long periods of time. Chew will irritate the tissues for two reasons; it contains elements which are toxic, and believe it or not, the tobacco companies actually put small amounts of aluminum oxide (used for sand blasting) and other micro abrasives into the mix to irritate the tissue and allow the nicotine quicker access to you. Unfortunately, this also allows more rapid access to the toxic elements as well. It is likely that what you are experiencing will go away in a few days without the use of any chew, combined with some good oral hygiene. If after two weeks it hasn't cleared up, and you've been diligent about not using and keeping your mouth really clean, then it is time to visit your dentist and let him have a look. Take a minute and read some of our tobacco pages on this site, and check out a site called NSTEP which is a group of sports figures against chew. (Oral cancer has taken the lives of a few of their colleagues who used spit tobacco). After all this, make an intelligent choice about whether you want this stuff in your life any more. Perhaps what you get out of it, isn't worth the risk

Brian thanks for your response, it has helped to put me more at ease. I have scheduled a dentist appointment for 2 weeks just in case this doesn't go away. I have also noticed that along the very bottom of my gum where I placed the dip, there is a very small patch of white skin. It easy falls off, but should I be taking it off, or is this just the skin trying to heal itself. I appreciate all that u have done for me so far. This is a great website thanks-zach

Damaged tissue will slough off on its own, just like when you get a sun burn, your skin peels where it has been damaged. For now I wouldn't worry too much about this, it is probably just this healing process. If it is still happening two weeks from now, that is another issue. But my GUESS, is that it won't be. In the mean time, keep your mouth really clean, and it won't hurt if you GENTLY, WITH A VERY SOFT BRUSH, keep that sore area of your gum tissue clean also.

thanks for all your help and advice brian