Receding Gum Treatments
If you have recently noticed your teeth look longer and your gums seem to be sagging below your teeth, you may have receding gums. There are many causes of receding gums, and depending on the cause, your provider may be able to help you find a treatment option to return your gums to a healthier state. Healthy, happy gums are pink, and the gumline is tight and closely secure around all of the teeth. Unhealthy gums are often red, inflamed, and the gumline is lower around some teeth than others. One of the biggest challenges with a receding gum condition is that gum recession can happen slowly and may not be noticeable right away. If you have noticed your gums looking lower and your teeth longer, you should schedule a visit with your provider and start discussing treatment options.
Symptoms of Receding Gums
In addition to longer teeth and less gum tissue around the teeth, common symptoms of receding gums include:
- Bad breath
- Swollen and red gums
- A bad taste in your mouth
- Gums that bleed after brushing and flossing
- Sensitive teeth
Diagnosing Receding Gums
It is common for a dental hygienist to spot receding gums at the beginning of a routine dental exam. If you visit your dentist every 6 months, they will be able to identify any gum recession during these regular visits. If you have noticed any symptoms, you may want to move up your next visit and specifically discuss it with your oral health care team. During your routine visit, your hygienist and dentist will look at your gums and the buildup of plaque or tartar on your teeth, and discuss it with you.
Treatment for Gum Recession
Unfortunately, gum tissue cannot be recovered or grow back. However, recession can be stopped from getting worse. Identifying the best treatment option will depend on the cause of the problem. If poor dental hygiene or aggressive brushing is the cause, your dental hygienist may talk to you about changing your brushing and flossing habits. Adding a daily mouth rinse that fights plaque may help reduce plaque buildup between teeth.
If gum recession is more advanced, and pockets have grown deeper, it may increase the risk of bacteria building up. This bacteria can lead to gum disease progressing even more quickly. However, mild gum recession doesn’t necessarily mean your gum disease will advance. For milder gum recession, occasional deep cleaning treatments are important to clean tartar and plaque from the surface of the teeth along or below the gumline.
If gum recession is more advanced and a good amount of gum tissue has been lost, a procedure called gum grafting may be used to help restore lost tissue. During the grafting procedure, gum tissue is taken from other areas of the mouth and attached to areas where gum tissue has been lost.
If allowed to progress over time, receding gums will impact your smile, lead to more serious gum disease, and increase your risk of tooth loss. To treat gum recession, you’ll need to be more involved in your oral health and see your dentist twice per year.
Related Article: Can Receding Gums Grow Back?