You can have a perfectly healthy mouth – no infection, no periodontal (gum) disease and no active tooth decay – and you can be very conscientious about practicing good oral hygiene, but you may still experience gum recession.
Receding gums are a common condition. Even with good oral hygiene habits, aging and genetics can still cause gum loss. While your gum tissue can't grow back, there are many treatment options that can help stop or slow down the process.
There are other causes of receding gums besides gum disease, including: Long-term, overly aggressive brushing. Hardened plaque build up (tartar) often due to skipping teeth cleanings. Smoking.
Reasons for receding gums
Periodontal disease: This bacterial gum infection destroys gum tissue and the bone that supports the teeth. It is the main cause of gum recession. Genetics: Some people are more susceptible to gum disease, regardless of how well they care for their teeth.
Receding gums are a condition in which your gums pull back from the tooth surface, exposing the root surfaces of your teeth. It's just one form of gum (periodontal) disease. This is a serious consequence of poor oral health, which may lead to tooth loss.
Gum recession is often considered a normal part of aging. Even the expression “long in the tooth” stems from our gum line receding and exposing more of our teeth as we age. However, there is nothing normal about gum recession.
Receding gums are an oral health concern when they get to the point where tooth roots are exposed. It leads to a higher risk of decay, infection, and loss. Therefore, if you suspect your gums are receding, or a dental professional has brought it up to you, it's time to seek treatment.
The answer depends on the underlying cause. For example, if you brush too hard, your gums may recede over time. However, if you have gum disease, your gums can recede quite quickly. In some cases, they may even recede within a matter of weeks or months.
Flossing Regularly
Flossing removes plaques containing harmful bacteria from tough-to-reach places your toothbrush can't get to. These bacteria can cause receding gums and other dental problems. Flossing at least twice daily is the easiest way to keep gum recession at bay.
When you look in the mirror, do you see more of a tooth than you used to? This is one of the easiest ways to tell if you have gum recession. When gums recede, more of the tooth is visibly exposed. Look for lines or notches along the bottom of the teeth, as this typically indicates areas where the gums have receded.
Gum recession refers to the progressive loss of gum tissue, which can eventually result in tooth root exposure if left untreated. It is important to understand that bone loss has occured where gum recession is present.
Gum recession usually won't occur rapidly. Often, patients will start to develop symptoms like inflamed and painful gums that bleed while brushing and/or flossing. Secretions along your gumline and chronic foul-smelling breath (halitosis) are also signs that can develop before gum recession.
In some cases, it may be too late for gum grafting to save the gums. If your gums are severely damaged, receding so far back that they expose the tooth's root, or if there is significant bone loss from advanced gum disease, gum grafting may not be able to restore them to their healthy state.
Gum tissue naturally recedes with age, so the soft root tissue becomes exposed. In addition, adults who grew up before the advent of fluoride products and dental sealants often have fillings from childhood and adolescence that eventually break down.
It can cause severe gum recession and an increased likeliness of periodontal disease. Long-term stress is proven to weaken the immune system. This lowers your body's ability to fight infections. As a result, you have an increased risk of several dental issues, like bleeding and inflamed gums.
Brushing too hard can, in fact, cause damage to the delicate gum tissue, which can lead to them receding over time. Gum recession can lead to painful issues like gingivitis or gum disease and require extra care and procedures.
Poor oral hygiene can cause receding gums in two ways. First, if you do not brush your teeth properly, some plaque remains, which can buildup up tartar. Tartar breeds disease-causing bacteria which affect the gums, causing them to recede towards the tooth root. The second is through aggressive hygiene.
If you brush overly hard, this can lead to premature wear on the gums, increased sensitivity, or bleeding. Over time, brushing aggressively may also cause the gums to begin to recede. Some patients are especially vulnerable to this problem, as they have more delicate gum tissue due to genetics.
Gums don't recede overnight, but if you pay close attention, you can spot telltale signs of the problem: a tooth that appears much longer than its neighbors, yellow stains where the tooth touches the gum line, or even a ridge you can feel on the affected tooth, indicating your gums have shifted.
What do Receding Gums Look Like? The way to identify receding gums is by looking at the gum tissue surrounding each individual tooth. If the height of the gum tissue varies or if you see that the gum tissue surrounding the teeth draws back and seems red or worn away, then you are looking at receding gums.
The cost of gum grafting starts at $1200. There are other factors, like the severity, that may increase the cost. Remember, we have payment options available to suit your budget.
Someone whose teeth are healthy
There is no reason to perform a gum graft for a tooth that is very loose or severely damaged. Instead, any tooth problems must be treated before undergoing the gum grafting procedure.
The actual gum grafting procedure is painless. This is because a local anesthetic is used to numb the affected area. A periodontist, who is a dental specialist in gum disease and the gums, typically performs this procedure. You may instead feel some movement or pressure as your periodontist performs the procedure.
“The decreased estrogen that occurs with menopause also puts you at risk for a loss of bone density,” Dr. Boghosian says. “Signs of bone loss in your jaw can be something as simple as receding gums. When your gums recede, more of your tooth is exposed and that puts more of your tooth at risk for decay.