The appearance of your smile is one you may have gotten used to. However, many people comment over time that their smile has changed, and this may not be due to their teeth but rather their gums. As an adolescent or teen, gums are at their fullest, but over time, they may change and not look like they once did.
Gums play a huge role in oral health; their function is to protect the teeth. When a person starts to have receding gums, it is not only an issue with the gums themselves but can lead to problems with the teeth later on, unfortunately opening up the possibility of tooth loss. A gumline recession will also cause exposure to the tooth root, which can lead to sensitivity or even pain.
Knowing how to care for your gums early on can greatly reduce the chances of receding, but this isn’t always true. Some people are more genetically prone to receding gumlines, just as some have gummy smiles. What many people don’t know about gums is that brushing can negatively affect them. If you are a vigorous brusher with a firm bristle, you may be doing more harm than good. Using a soft or medium bristle is gentler on the gums.
Age, genes, lifestyle choices, if you grind your teeth, and too much pressure while brushing can all contribute to receding gums. Talking to your dentist about how to minimize your chances of this problem is one of the best things you can do, but if your gums have already started to separate from the teeth or you can see the tooth root, you will need to have a procedure done to fix the issue.
Can You Reverse Receding Gums?
Having receding gums is frustrating. One of the most asked questions is whether there are natural remedies for receding gums, which is very common. Sadly, you can do nothing at home to help reverse or treat the appearance of gums that have started to recede. When the gum pulls away from the teeth, you can do nothing to repair the gum and make it grow back at home. This can be upsetting news to some, but the goal for dentists is to prevent the condition from worsening, and they offer ways to help heal and replace lost tissue.
Taking action when you first notice a change in the gumline can significantly reduce the risk of negative results. Exposed roots, for instance, can become quite painful, but it takes a while before the root starts to show, and at that point, the recession has been active for some time. Treating gum disease will also help to prevent the receding gum. However, once the recession has begun, dental intervention can only reverse it.
Receding Gums Treatment
If you want the best treatment plan to tackle a receding gum issue, visiting your dentist is the best bet. While there may be things you can try at home to correct bad habits that may have led to the recession, treatments from your dentist are the most effective at correction. Your dentist will look at a few factors of your gums, including how severe the recession is and if gum disease is present. These aspects will significantly affect how your dentist will want to proceed.
Gum grafts are standard treatments for more severe tissue loss. It is a surgical procedure that uses tissue from other mouth areas. This tissue is removed and placed in areas where the recession is worst. While this is a go-to treatment for a dentist in patients with a severe recession, other procedures will need to be done if gum disease is present. You will need to have a deep cleaning to remove bacteria or excessive debris that is still present — the cleaner the area, the better the results of the gum graft.
Aside from gum grafts, another method, the pinhole surgical technique, can solve receding gums. Unlike gum grafts that transfer tissue from one area to another, this will manipulate gum tissue over an exposed root. This procedure has increased in dental offices as an excellent method for restoring the gumline. Patients have noted that the technique has been remarkably successful.
One of the primary concerns your dentist might have is stopping further damage to your gum line and slowing or stopping the recession altogether. An examination will determine if it is possible to stop gum loss or if a gum graft or pinhole surgical technique is the best option.
How To Stop Receding Gums?
If your gumline hasn’t receded too far, you might be curious about how to stop it, much like those with thinning hair in the front; stopping further damage is at the forefront. There are a few tips to help prevent or slow gums from detaching from the teeth. Practicing good oral care habits is at the top of the list. Brushing and flossing will help keep the teeth and gums healthy. Brushing shouldn’t be rough; you should instead use a softer bristle and be more gentle with your motions. The softer bristle can reach slightly under the gumline to remove debris and plaque to help maintain health.
Instead of trying to finish brushing and flossing quickly, take your time. One of the worst habits dentists see from patients is vigorously brushing for a short period versus gentle brushing for a few minutes. The same goes for flossing. Some people don’t like to floss because they either don’t understand how to do so correctly or it hurts. But then some individuals excessively floss. It would help if you never dug into the gums with floss. Doing too much flossing can be more harmful than not flossing at all.
Lastly, visit your dentist regularly. With preventative care from your dentist, many of the issues of receding gum lines can be addressed before they become massive problems. Bi-annual cleanings can help reduce the amount of tartar buildup, which will negatively affect the gums. The gums are vital to the appearance of your smile and the most important protector of the teeth, and together with your dentist, you can help prevent receding gums.