Receding Gums – Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments
Your gums will start to recede when you get gum disease. Brushing your teeth hard can also cause a receding gum line. Once they begin to reveal the roots of your teeth, the teeth are not as nice looking as they were before. It will also make you look older. The good news is that there is a remedy for receding gums.
Cause of Receding Gums
The primary cause of receding gums is poor oral hygiene, which leads to gum disease. This means that you are not brushing your teeth enough and flossing. Most often, if you change your dental care habits for the better, you may be able to stop any further gum recession.
Another cause is genetics. It is believed that as many as 30 percent of people have a genetic disposition toward gum disease. This means that even with good oral care that they will likely still get periodontal disease.
The gums will recede because they are deteriorating as a result of the inflammation and your immune system. There is an autoimmune system attack taking place and it will not stop until it is treated. This process is largely painless. When your teeth start to become loose, biting down on a loose tooth when chewing can become painful.
Using tobacco also causes the same problem. Gum recession takes place because nicotine reduces the amount of oxygen in the blood. This reduction causes a cell die off and they recede as a result.
Four other causes of gum recession include diabetes, trauma to the mouth, teeth grinding, and women’s hormonal changes. Having thin gums can also be a problem because they can be worn away more easily.
Symptoms of Receding Gums
You can begin to expect gum recession when your gums bleed when you brush or floss them. The gums will also appear inflamed or red. These are the early symptoms of gum disease. At this early stage, you can usually get rid of gum disease by brushing twice a day and flossing. It is much harder to eliminate it if you do not do so at this stage.
When periodontitis gets started, you will see some additional symptoms. Besides receding gums, you will also see more inflammation, pus at the gum line, spaces will develop between your teeth, pockets will form on the gums, bad breath, and, as it gets worse, some teeth will start to become loose. With receding gums, there is the possibility that it may be unknown to the individual for a long time because there often is no pain associated with gum disease in the early stages.
Treatment for Gum Disease
Your gums will need to be treated by a periodontist in order to stop the deterioration. If not stopped, the destruction may require that your teeth be pulled.
Periodontal disease is measured in four stages. The dentist will categorize the severity of the periodontal disease by the depth of the pockets that have formed on the gum line and decide on the gum treatments,
- Scaling and Root Planing
This procedure involves the periodontist going into each pocket and removing the inflammation and bacteria. Tartar will be removed, and so will the rough edges on the tooth roots will also be smoothed (planed) in order to remove any places where the bacteria can easily start a new colony. Some periodontists will use a laser to ensure that the bacteria in the pockets have been killed.
In more severe cases, the dentist will surgically open the pockets to clean out the gums. Once that has been completed, the gums will be stitched closer to the teeth to keep out bacteria.
- Bone Grafts
In cases where the jawbone has seriously deteriorated, the periodontist may need to build up the jawbone before replacing teeth. This is usually done when a dental implant will be installed. The bone will usually be taken from the chin or hip. It will be necessary for the bone graft to completely heal before the implant can be installed.
- Gum Grafts
One procedure that can be done to repair gums is receding gums surgery. This takes tissue from your mouth and patches it over the areas needing it. It is then stitched in place. If the gums have not receded very far, a new technique called pinhole gum surgery may be used. This new but proven procedure merely stretches existing gum tissue to cover the tooth roots.
- Composite Resin
This material is used to cover the roots of the teeth. It will help protect them from cavities.
- Pink Porcelain or Composite
Dentists can apply porcelain or composite material to fill in the spaces between teeth where the gums have receded.
- Removable gum veneers
This veneer covers the areas where gum recession has taken place. It restores a natural appearance to your gums.
Receding gums should be treated when they are first discovered. Since gums do not regrow, it is not going to get better on its own. Dr. Kumar T. Vadivel, DDS, FDS RCS, MS, a Board Certified Periodontist, provides gum recession treatment. He can help reverse receding gums and treat gum recession in his Carrollton, Cedar hill, Mocking bird/SMU, and Grapevine, TX offices. Nearly all dental insurance plans are accepted. For a consultation or information about periodontal treatment, you can contact his ToothHQ office today
