Gum Recession

When gum tissue surrounding your teeth wears away or pulls back, it exposes your teeth and dental roots leading to receding gums. This condition is referred to as gum recession. Gum recession might be responsible for your discomfort and sensitivity, and also poses higher risks of tooth loss or decays.  It is crucial to address receding gums early to achieve a healthy smile with an improved teeth appearance. 

What are receding gums?

Receding gums occur when your gum tissue covering your dental roots starts wearing away. It consequently exposes the underlying tissues and bones. Receding gums often go unnoticed in most of the people until they experience discomfort.

Receding Gums: Symptoms

Receding gums include underlying signs such as:

• Visible tooth roots: When your dental roots start getting exposed, it gives a longer appearance to your teeth than usual.
• Tooth sensitivity: As your dental roots are exposed, they act sensitive towards cold, hot or sweet drinks or foods.
• Red or inflamed gums: Irritation might cause your gums to become red and swollen.
• Loose teeth: If your condition is severe, you may experience tooth loss due to gum recession.
• Bad breath: Gum issues are related to buildup of bacteria in your mouth; and eventually cause bad breath.

Gum Recession: Common Causes

There can be several reasons behind your receding gums such as:

• Aggressive brushing: If you are using a toothbrush with rough bristles, or are brushing too hard, it might cause your gum tissues to wear away.
• Gum disease: Bacterial infections are often responsible for causing periodontal disease, which can be a major cause of gum recession.
• Genetics: The genetic background of some individuals can make them more prone to developing gum recession.
• Poor oral hygiene: You might also face plaque buildup in your teeth and gums if you do not clean them regularly.
• Tobacco consumption: Smoking can be harmful for your gum tissues and might lead to gum recession.
• Teeth grinding: As grinding your teeth exerts excessive pressure on the gums, it is a leading cause of receding gums.

Treatment Options for Gum Recession

Depending on the actual cause and severity of your gum recession, some effective treatment options can be:

• Scaling and root planing: These are deep cleaning procedures used in removing plaques from your teeth and gums, and thereby facilitating your gum recovery.
• Gum grafts: This procedure fills in the gap of your lost tissue by replacing it with some other healthy tissue of your mouth or a synthetic material. This process is suitable for covering your exposed dental roots.
• Invisalign aligners: Orthodontic motion of the tooth roots using Invisalign aligners.
• Soft tissue regeneration: Regenerative techniques are useful in rebuilding your lost bone and gum tissue.
• Desensitising treatments: If sensitivity is your major concern, you can use desensitising toothpaste to manage your discomfort.

Innovative technique using Invisalign aligners

In some cases where favourable gum and tooth shapes occur. It is possible to move teeth into a more stable position within the bone to control and possibly reduce the recession without surgery.

We have completed many cases of Invisalign to reduce gum r cession with excellent long term results.

This method combines careful planning and experienced dentists to carry out.

Please book a consultation to see if you are eligible.

Receding Gums: Prevention

Certain preventive care tips help protect you oral health for a long term such as:

• Brush gently: Maintain gentle strokes while brushing and use a toothbrush with soft bristles to avoid tooth damage.
• Practice good oral hygiene: Regular flossing and brushing twice a day are crucial for your proper oral care.
• Quit smoking: If you start quitting your consumption of tobacco gradually, you can safeguard your gums from risks of recession.
• Wear a mouth guard: If you have a habit of grinding your teeth at night, using a mouth guard can help resist tooth damage.

Expert Opinions of Receding Gums

Dental professionals suggest that receding gums should be treated immediately. In fact, early intervention and routine dental check-ups can help detect your gum recession at its initial stage. Maintenance of good oral hygiene and prompt care of your gum problems can help protecting your teeth and gum health for a long term basis.