What Causes Receding Gums?

Gingival Recession, also known as receding gums, is when the roots of a teeth become exposed with the loss or retraction of gum tissue along the teeth. Oftentimes, gum recession occurs due to certain daily habits that people have, which over time, lead to gum recession.

Here are the common causes of gum recession:

• Aggressive brushing and/or flossing – Don’t brush your teeth too aggressively or with too much force, you should be brushing your teeth with a light, gentle force. Also make sure that you are using toothbrush with soft bristles that will be gentle on your teeth.
• Poor oral hygiene – If your oral hygiene habits are not good, and you neglect to brush and floss your teeth well on a regular basis, it could lead to Gum Disease and your gums receding.
• Genetics – Your genetics is also an important determining factor of the health and condition of your teeth. Some people are simply more susceptible to receding gums than other people, even if they have good oral hygiene habits. If one or both of your parents have receding gums, then it is more likely that you will have receding gums.
• Abnormal teeth alignment – If your teeth are not aligned correctly and positioned such that some teeth are higher up than others, this could also lead to gum recession.
• Teeth Grinding – Some people have the habit of grinding their teeth at night. Teeth grinding, also known as Bruxism, is a habit that can lead to gum recession as well as many other dental conditions. If you have a teeth grinding habit, consult your dentist. There are many available options to help prevent teeth grinding, such as a mouth guard.
• Trauma to the teeth and gums – If you’ve experienced a traumatic injury to your teeth or to a tooth, it may cause your gums to recede.

How Can I Treat Gum Recession?

Although there are many factors that can cause gum recession, there are also various treatment options available depending on the specific cause of your gum recession.

If you are only experiencing mild gum recession, then this is good news, because you’ve detected your gum recession early, and you can make the necessary changes to your lifestyle now before it progresses to become a serious issue. Speak to your dentist, who will help you to identify the cause/causes of your gum recession.

A common treatment for mild gum recession is tooth scaling and root planning. This is a procedure used to deep clean the affected area of your gums. The dentist will remove any plague on your teeth and on the gum surface, as well as smooth out the exposed root area to prevent bacteria easily attaching to the area.

If your gum recession has become serious and a lot of the root surface of your teeth is exposed, then deep cleaning may not be an option for you. Typically, treatment for serious cases of gum recession involve gum surgery.

There are many gum surgery options that exist to treat gum recession. Make sure to consult your dentist to find out what is the best procedure option for you.