Why Do Gums Recede?

Gum disease is extremely prevalent all over the world. A combination of changing diets, poor oral hygiene and most importantly, a lack of knowledge among the general population, has meant that years and years of advancements are not being passed on to the public.

There is much better understanding of what causes gum disease than ever before. There are also more treatment options available to patients at a cost which is continuously going down. One disease that more people suffer from than not is receding gums.

Problems Associated With Receding Gums

Under normal conditions, our gums should be attached to the necks of our teeth and may extend to a millimeter or so over their crowns. They cover the roots of the teeth, protecting them from everyday assaults from the food and drink we ingest. As gums recede, this protection to the roots of our teeth disappears and results in wearing away of the root surface. Patients then complain of sensitivity, pain, food getting lodged between their teeth, and discoloration.

This exposed root surface is also very prone to developing decay. When the gums recede from the front of the mouth, the teeth start to appear "longer" and can affect the smile of a person. This recession is also rarely uniform across teeth so one long tooth among others stands out and becomes an eyesore.

Why Do Gums Recede?

Poor Brushing technique: Get ready for it. The number one cause for receding gums is due to toothbrush-induced trauma. It has been drilled into the psyche of patients all over the world that they should be scrubbing their teeth as hard as possible multiple times a day or else they will develop decay. This is poorly-marketed, half-correct information.

While it is important to brush two times a day, there is no need to be scrubbing with any great pressure whatsoever. The bristles on a brush can only remove plaque, which can be removed by the softest of brushes just gliding over the surface of the teeth. Tartar, on the other hand, cannot be removed by any toothbrush however hard it may be.

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Improperly Placed Teeth

Teeth that are out of alignment are much more likely to develop recession with all other factors being the same. The reason for this could be due to a thin covering of bone on the roots of the malaligned teeth which reduces the amount of blood supply to the gums in turn and makes them more susceptible to damage.

Orthodontic treatment to correct the position of teeth at the right age can help prevent recession from occurring. It also helps that people are able to keep properly aligned teeth cleaner and thus free from any deleterious effects of plaque and tartar.

Prevention And Treatment Of Gingival Recession

Bad Oral Hygiene

All of the dental diseases have their origins in the accumulation of plaque in the mouth. This plaque, which forms in each and every mouth, is not disease causing if it is cleaned regularly (through good oral hygiene). If it is allowed to accumulate, however, then it changes its microbial character to incorporate more and more disease-causing micro-organisms.

Gum disease, which occurs as a result of this plaque accumulation, manifests as either deepening of gingival pockets or through the occurrence of recession. Thus, following simple oral hygiene tips as a matter of habit will help prevent all of these problems.

Habits

Smoking has been found to have the closest association with the occurrence of gingival recession as compared to any other external factor. It is something that can be modified by the patient themselves with the doctor only having an advisory role.

Mouth breathing is also a known causative factor of gingival recession although the reasons for this are debated and not yet clear.

How Is Gingival Recession Treated?

The treatment for gingival recession involves gum surgery. There are different kinds of surgeries that are done for the treatment of gingival recession some of which involve the harvesting of a soft tissue graft from other areas in the oral cavity.

The most effective surgical technique is one where a connective tissue graft is harvested from the palate and then used to cover the area of recession. The graft is covered by pulling down the gums around the area of recession and then allowed to heal.

If the graft is accepted by the body and manages to establish a healthy amount of blood flow to the area (something that happens in close to 2/3rds of the cases) then there is a good chance that recession will be covered completely or partially.

Not all cases of gingival recession can be treated with surgery, however. Patients who are suffering from advanced gingival recession are not advised to undergo surgery and are only treated for any symptoms that they might be having as a result of this gingival recession.

These patients may have to undergo composite fillings to try and protect the exposed root surfaces. If, however, the sensitivity continues even after fillings have been done then root canal treatment is indicated.

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For people who have aesthetic corrections to be made, a combination of surgical treatment and veneers with pink colored porcelain to blend with the gingiva is indicated.

Conclusion

In cases of gingival recession, prevention is much better than cure. The steps that are needed to be taken to prevent recession from occurring at all are pretty basic, however, the treatment to correct recession once it has set in is quite complicated. It is important to know, however, what can go wrong before one can prevent it from doing so. For people who have already suffered from recession, talk to your dentist and explore the different kinds of treatment options available. A suitable treatment option is not difficult to find.