Your dentist will clean above and below the gum to remove bacteria and plaque. Then a regenerative material – a membrane, tissue-stimulating protein or graft tissue, will be applied to encourage your body to naturally restore the damaged bone and tissue. The gum is then securely reattached over the root of the tooth.
Receding gums won't grow back because gum tissue doesn't regenerate like many other tissues in the body. And while receding gums can increase your risk of tooth decay, they are often the sign of a more serious oral health condition.
GUM GRAFTS
If gum tissue has been lost your dentist may suggest soft tissue, or gum graft, surgery. This is where tissue is grafted from surrounding gums or the roof of your mouth and stitched to the gum tissue to cover the exposed root of your tooth.
While your gums won't grow back on their own, surgical treatment can be used to replace the missing tissue, and restore both your appearance and your oral health. Gum grafting involves taking soft tissue from another part of the mouth and grafting it onto your gums.
Leafy vegetables such as spinach, arugula, kales, and broccoli have fiber, vitamins, and minerals, which are great for healthy gums and teeth. Vitamin C helps reduce inflammation and helps fight against gum disease. It also soothes gum pain and prevents irritation.
Vitamin C strengthens your gums and the soft tissue in your mouth. It can protect against gingivitis, the early stage of gum disease, and can prevent your teeth from loosening. Did you know that many animals (like elephants and dogs) create vitamin C in their bodies, even though humans can't?
Over Brushing
One of the biggest causes of prematurely receding gums is brushing too hard. Of course we brush our teeth to try and improve our oral hygiene but unfortunately it's all too easy for us to get somewhat overzealous and the result is that we end up brushing away our gums.
Initial healing will take about 10 to 14 days to take place. It will take about 6 months for full gum maturation to complete.
Unlike other soft tissues in our bodies, our gums don't grow back once they recede. However, early intervention can prevent the gums from receding and other complications like tooth loss.
Can Gums Grow Back? If you were to ask any periodontist if gums can grow back after receding, they would tell you no, they cannot. As nice as it would be to have these soft tissues move back into their original position after treatment, the harsh reality is that they will not.
Advanced Gum Disease (Periodontitis) Can't Be Reversed
Once gum disease progresses past gingivitis, the infection is permanent. Irreversible damage will be done to your teeth and gums, and it will never be possible to completely eliminate the infection.
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.
Eat foods that contain Omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and beta-carotene. These nutrients promote overall oral health and healing. Take Vitamins C and E to support your oral health. Chew sugarless gum after meals to neutralize acids and prevent tooth decay.
Vitamin C, however, can rebuild your gum tissue to help protect your mouth from destruction. The vitamin helps grow new tissues to heal wounds and repair your tissues, making your recovery time quicker. Furthermore, vitamin C helps strengthen your immune system to fight diseases, including gum infections.
Surgery - If your gums already have pockets that are too deep or you've experienced too much bone loss, a deep cleaning won't be enough to treat the gum recession. In these instances, surgery may be necessary. Bone regeneration and tissue or gum grafts are two procedures frequently recommended to address receding gums.
Calcium. It's important to make sure you're getting enough calcium in your diet. Without enough calcium, you risk developing gum disease and tooth decay.
Chlorhexidine Gel: If the Columbia dentist suggests, you can apply chlorhexidine gel to the extraction site the day after the process for quicker healing. The gel prevents bacteria from accumulating near the extraction site while helping reduce pain and discomfort.
Green, white, and black tea all have a lot of antioxidants, which help fight cavity-causing bacteria and reduce inflammation in your gums, but black tea will stain your teeth yellow over time. Green and white tea, on the other hand, won't.
Milk – Milk is rich in calcium, Vitamin D and protein. It thus provides nutrients against gum disease and also strengthens your teeth.
It's never too late to seek treatment for gum disease, and the degree of treatment you require will depend on how advanced it is.
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.