Gum Recession:
Gum recession, characterized by the gums pulling away from the teeth and exposing areas of the tooth, is a condition that may be caused by genetics. Recognizing signs of receding gums is crucial for early intervention and effective treatment. Explore our comprehensive guide to learn about the Signs of Receding Gums and discover proactive ways to promote gum health and prevent further recession.
It can also be a side-effect of tooth brushing, where aggressive brushing that removes plaque from the teeth causes inflammation of the gum tissue and exposes more tooth roots.
Receding Gums:
Gums must be examined closely for signs of recession. The dentist can also use a probe to determine if the gum tissue is receding. The dentist may feel the tissue and stop probing when they feel gum tissue surrounding to confirm a diagnosis of recession.
Stages of Gum Recession:
1) Gingival Recession: This is one of the early stages of the gum pocket that is greater than 3mm from the cementoenamel junction.
2) Enlargement Of The Marginal Bone Loss: When a minimum width of bone, which was covered by healthy gingiva at least twice its height or a minimum height of 2mm, is exposed.
3) Bone Exposure: When the bony margin appears on the facial or lingual surfaces of teeth.
4) Probing Depth Measuring more than 3mm from the gingival margin to the bottom of the pocket.
5) Tooth Mobility: Tooth Mobility greater than 1mm.
6) Esthetic Compromise: When there is no more keratinized mucosa on the gingiva with the visible pink color of underlying tissues.
Receding Gums Symptoms :
Bleeding Gums:
Bleeding in the gums is one of the early symptoms when you have bacterial infections or when your teeth’ roof surface is exposed. Bleeding can also happen when you brush or floss too hard.
Bad Breath (Halitosis)
Halitosis, or bad breath, is a common side effect of oral gum tissue recession. Plaque and tartar buildup forms around your teeth and produces waste products that can cause unpleasant odors. That’s why it’s so important to remove plaque and tartar every day through proper at-home care and regular dental cleanings. When you receive treatment for gum disease, bad breath often goes away.
Sores In Gums:
Sores in the gums are also one of the minor symptoms that appears. These are the small, painful ulcers that appear on the areas where the gums and teeth meet.
Tooth Sensitivity:
Sensitivity is caused by gum recession because more of the tooth surface reveals itself as a result.
Swollen Gums:
Bad breath is usually caused by the growth of bacteria in your mouth, which produces sulfur compounds that smell bad.
Tooth Loss:
Tooth pulling out due to gum tissue irritation. When one brushes too hard, it can cause gum recession, especially if you brush your teeth with a manual toothbrush. Using an electric toothbrush that can deliver extra-strength bristle movements can help prevent receding gums or minimize.
Redness:
Redness in gums appears when gums are irritated by infections or if you have enough gum tissue atrophy.
Gumline Recession:
It may cause sensitive teeth, tooth mobility, bone loss at the root surface, and eventually the loss of teeth. A simple clinical examination can reveal whether you have a recession of gums or not. If there is a gap between your gums and teeth when you smile, it might be a sign of bacterial gum infections.
Tenderness:
If you feel tenderness in gums when you press them with your fingers, it may also be a sign of gum recession.
Tooth Loss:
Gum recession can also cause tooth loss, among other side effects. If you notice your teeth are loose, it may be due to gums’ less collagen that eventually destroys gum tissue. This leads to increased stretching of the ligaments and subsequent loosening of the teeth.
What Causes Receding Gums?
Tobacco Products:
Tobacco is a plant that can be used to produce cigarettes, cigars and pipe tobacco, and other products. It contains the alkaloid nicotine, which is a stimulant and is highly addictive. It is the major cause of gum recession as it creates plaque in teeth, thus exposing the teeth from their gum pockets.
Aggressive Tooth Brushing:
Aggressive tooth brushing that removes plaque from around the teeth causes inflammation of the gum tissue.
Poor Oral Hygiene:
Poor oral hygiene is one of the many causes of gum recession. Improper brushing can lead to the accumulation of food particles on your teeth, decreasing saliva flow. The bacteria that live in your mouth also thrive on the food particles and produce acids that attack the gums and bones of your teeth. Thus gum recession can be caused by improper brushing and lack of flossing.
Dry Mouth:
A dry mouth is a condition that occurs when there is not enough saliva in your mouth to keep it wet. If you have a dry mouth from not drinking enough water or medicines, you can get exposed to gums.
Excessive Brushing:
Excessive brushing is one of the causes of gum recession because it can cause inflammation of the gum tissue.
Hormonal Changes:
Changes in hormones are another cause of gum recession. Some women may notice their gums recede during pregnancy or menopause, for example.
Tooth Grinding:
Gum recession occurs when you grind your teeth and can also cause gum recession in some cases. When you grind your teeth, it can cause inflammation of the gums and exposed tooth roots.
Gum Diseases:
It is caused by gum recession or by rubbing the gums. It triggers the bleeding of the gum tissues and tooth sensitivity, a misaligned bite, and bad breath.
Gum disease is a common term that includes gingivitis and periodontitis. Gingivitis, the milder form of receding gums, occurs when plaque accumulates around your teeth and hardens into tartar. Gingivitis is the first stage of gum disease, and it can usually be reversed with proper at-home care. If left untreated, gingivitis can progress to periodontitis – a more serious form of gum disease that destroys your gums and bone tissue around teeth.
Gingival Recession:
Gingival recession is the loss of gum tissue around teeth caused by gingival inflammation. This may be due to mild tooth brushing, smoking, dry mouth, poor oral hygiene, excessive brushing, hormone changes, or teeth grinding.
Tooth roots are usually visible at one-inch intervals beneath the gum line. However, if the gums have receded due to gum recession, then this would increase the distance between tooth roots and give a person an appearance that they have more teeth than they do.
Periodontal Diseases:
Gum recession can lead to the development of periodontal diseases such as gingivitis and periodontitis. When you don’t brush your teeth properly, it creates an ideal environment for the bacteria in your mouth. These bacteria produce acids that destroy the bones and gums near your teeth. This is how gum recession leads to periodontal diseases.
Receding Gums And Pregnancy:
Gingivitis in pregnant women is normal and usually disappears after giving birth. If you experience gingivitis during pregnancy, you should call your dentist because the symptoms might indicate that you have a more serious case of receding gums. Also, keep in mind that you should not receive treatment for gum disease during pregnancy unless it is necessary.
Side Effects Of Using Steroids:
The most common side effect is adrenal suppression or insufficiency, in which the body’s natural steroid production is inhibited. Other effects include high blood sugar, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, and weight gain.
Side Effects Of Prednisone:
Prednisone often causes a temporary increase in blood sugar levels, producing symptoms such as increased thirst and urination. Other side effects include high blood pressure, fluid retention, nausea and vomiting, mood swings, excessive hair growth on the face and body, insomnia, and restlessness. In kids, prednisone can slow growth rates.
Treatment Options:
Treatment for gum recession depends on the severity and degree of damage to your gums and teeth. Your dentist can provide you with a treatment plan that is appropriate for your situation. However, there are some common treatments for gum recession:
Medical Treatment For Receding Gums:
A prescription medication called tetracycline can help control receding gums, strengthen your gums, and minimize the risk of future receding gums.
Treatment For Severe Cases:
Surgery may be an option if you have a severe case of receding gums that has caused damage to the tooth root. This procedure involves re-gluing the teeth into their sockets to prevent future problems.
Scaling And Root Planing:
This procedure involves smoothing down the surfaces of tooth roots and removing plaque and calculus around the teeth. This is often an effective treatment for periodontitis and gum disease because it can remove plaque and tartar from the teeth.
Root planing is the non-surgical smoothing of rough areas on root surfaces, which reduces pockets around teeth where bacteria can hide. Plaque forms on tooth surface at a rate of 1 millimeter per day, so preventing plaque buildup is the only way to stop gum disease. Dental scaling removes plaque, tartar, and other debris below your gum line using special hand tools or ultrasonic probes.
Oral Care: Deep Cleaning:
Deep cleaning (scaling and root planing) under anesthesia is the most effective way to connect with your gums that are inflamed or receding. This procedure involves removing plaque and calculus buildup built up on the tooth’s surface, smoothening irregularities in the root surface, reattaching gum tissue through surgical procedures, reshaping a need to re-establish the gum line and maintaining healthy gums through improved daily oral hygiene.
Gum Graft Surgery: Soft Tissue Graft
If you have thinning or receding gums, gum graft surgery can give you a thin layer of new tissue covering your teeth without changing their shape or look. In this procedure, small pieces of tissue called donor grafts are taken from the roof of your mouth, placed in the receded gums, and stitched into place. This procedure can be covered by insurance if you have gum recession due to periodontal disease.
Dental Cleaning:
Regular dental cleanings are vital to keeping your gums healthy. Dental cleanings remove the tartar above and below your gum line that brushing can’t always reach. Professional dental cleaning also gives your dentist an excellent opportunity to check for signs of gum disease or other problems, which allows us to treat conditions early when they are more likely to be reversible.
Dental Implant Surgery:
Dental implants are titanium posts that are surgically placed into the jaw to provide tooth replacement for people with severe gum disease or those who have lost their natural teeth due to periodontal disease. The process involves removing the remaining healthy bone around your teeth, placing the titanium post in the socket, and then creating a gum tissue graft or flap to cover it.
Flap Surgery:
To create healthy gums, diseased portions of tissue are removed while at the same time preserving as much bone as possible so that the teeth don’t shift position. Gum disease is a chronic condition that requires ongoing care from your dentist.
Gum Surgery:
This procedure involves the surgical removal of inflamed gum tissue to expose more of your tooth’s root surface, which can help reduce bacterial buildup and inflammation. After the surgery, you will be sent home with a prescription for antibiotics and special medicated rinses to fight infection.
Reverse Receding Gums Naturally.
Receding Gums Toothpaste:
Nourishing plaque is a toothpaste that can heal your gums. Prevent teeth and gums from receding with this food-grade natural product. It will combat bad breath, plaque buildup, and gum disease.
Regular Dental Visit:
You should schedule regular dental visits and cleanings; we recommend twice a year. If gum recession is caused by improper brushing or flossing, you can get your technique checked at your cleaning appointment.
Oral Hygiene (Brushing, Flossing) With Certain Medications
The next time you brush, use a soft-bristled toothbrush and be gentle.
If you wear dentures, take them out while you are brushing your teeth. The gum tissue can get irritated if you wear your dentures all the time, which causes gum recession. Just make sure to put in some prescribed softening agent while wearing your dentures or while soaking them.
Drink Water:
Hydrate your mouth by drinking plenty of water throughout the day. Proper oral health is one of the many reasons why water is good for you!
Reduce Stress:
Reduce stress to reduce gum recession; research has shown that chronic stress can cause periodontal disease and loss of bone density around teeth.
Quit Smoking:
Quit smoking or chewing tobacco to reduce the risk of gum recession. Smoking and chewing tobacco are associated with more severe gum recession.
Conclusion:
Gum recession is a condition that many patients face where the gums start to recede away from the teeth and form pockets between your gums and your teeth. Gum recession can also lead to teeth falling completely out of the mouth. It can be caused by several factors, but it is generally caused by poor oral hygiene (not brushing and flossing), periodontitis (gum disease), or even stress.
There are plenty of ways that you can reverse gum recession, which will require commitment and hard work on your part, but it is possible!
Be sure to visit your dentist regularly to help stave off further gum recession. Try using natural products that are specifically designed for reversing gum recession.
Further Reading & Entities:
https://www.cdc.gov/oralhealth/conditions/periodontal-disease.html
Hi there! I’m your dedicated dental professional, Lucy Dean. With a passion for creating confident smiles, I bring years of experience to ensure your oral health is in the best hands. My personalized and gentle care aims to make every dental visit a positive experience. Beyond the clinic, I stay updated on the latest advancements in dentistry, reflecting my commitment to your well-being. Trust me, Lucy Dean, for comprehensive and caring dental services. Your smile is my priority!
