What are receding gums?
Receding gums happen when the gumline draws back from your teeth or wears away, exposing more of the tooth and in some cases the tooth roots. As a result, pockets or gaps form between your teeth and the receding gums, which are ideal places for bacteria to build up.
Over time, these bacteria can cause damage to the bones and tissues under the teeth, and eventually lead to tooth loss.
Gum disease is the primary cause of receding gums. Other factors include:
- Genetic influences that make gum disease more likely
- Brushing your teeth too vigorously or with a poor technique
- Poor dental hygiene
- Hormonal changes
- Smoking, which makes plaque worse
- Grinding and clenching teeth (bruxism)
- Crooked teeth
- Misaligned bite
- Tongue or lip piercings that rub the gum tissue
Regular flossing and brushing and the use of an antibacterial mouthwash help prevent plaque from hardening into tartar, a substance that causes gum recession.
What are the symptoms of receding gums?
Gum recession happens so slowly that you might not realize at first that it’s happening. As your gums continue to draw back, they start to expose the tooth roots, causing increased sensitivity in your teeth and making you wince when you eat or drink anything cold, hot, or sweet.
If you have gum disease, your gums might start to bleed when you’re brushing your teeth, and you might notice your teeth look longer. If you see any of these signs, call Art of Periodontics to make an appointment with Dr. Zandi for an assessment before your condition worsens.
How are receding gums treated?
If your gum recession is mild, a deep cleaning called tooth scaling and root planing can remove all the traces of plaque and tartar on your teeth and below the gum line. Root planing smooths the root of your tooth, making the surface inhospitable to bacteria. Dr. Zandi can also prescribe antibiotics to kill any harmful bacteria that are left.
If the degree of gum recession is more severe, Dr. Zandi could recommend surgery. Surgical options include:
- Open flap scaling and root planing
- Regenerative medicine therapies to rebuild bone and tissue
- Connective tissue graft
- Free gingival graft
- Pedicle graft
Dr. Zandi can advise you which option is best in your case.
Receding gums might not cause you any trouble to start with, but if you ignore them you could end up losing teeth, so call Art of Periodontics today to arrange a consultation, or book an appointment online.
