What Causes Receding Gums?: Solutions and Prevention

Table of Contents

What are the Causes of Gum Recession and Gum Disease?

Gum recession gum disease is a common problem for many people. It can indicate a variety of underlying problems, so it is always best to check with a dental professional if you are experiencing this issue. There are several considerations when it comes to the gum recession.

This process occurs over a long time period, so gum recession is usually a gradual issue. Be careful and don’t let it take you by surprise. A conscious effort needs to be made to keep an eye on the state of your gums, and what is causing it will not change overnight. If you notice that your teeth are more sensitive or your teeth appear longer, that is a sign that you should get to the dentist immediately. Gum recession is often a sign of underlying problems, but it can also cause additional issues. Periodontal infection causes gum recession. This is when bacteria that sits in the mouth turns into calculus, and it destroys the supporting bone around the roots. This causes the gums to begin to pull away from the teeth. After this happens, the gums begin to form a pocket to house the bacteria. At this point, bacterial toxins begin to eat away at the bone, and further cause the gums to recede.

What are the Causes of Gum Recession?

Gum recession gum disease is a common problem for many people. It can indicate a variety of underlying problems, so it is always best to check with a dental professional if you are experiencing this issue. There are several considerations when it comes to the gum recession.

This process occurs over a long time period, so gum recession is usually a gradual issue. Be careful and don’t let it take you by surprise. A conscious effort needs to be made to keep an eye on the state of your gums, and what is causing it will not change overnight. If you notice that your teeth are more sensitive or your teeth appear longer, that is a sign that you should get to the dentist immediately. Gum recession is often a sign of underlying problems, but it can also cause additional issues. Periodontal infection causes gum recession. This is when bacteria that sits in the mouth turns into calculus, and it destroys the supporting bone around the roots. This causes the gums to begin to pull away from the teeth. After this happens, the gums begin to form a pocket to house the bacteria. At this point, bacterial toxins begin to eat away at the bone, and further cause the gums to recede.

What are Gum Recession Treatment Options?

A connective tissue graft not only covers the exposed root, but it also preserves the gum and bone that are supporting the tooth. Compared to more traditional grafting before, which was very painful with longer healing periods and might have 2 or more teeth being sore for a period of time, also, the width of the zone of attached gingiva was not altered or enlarged, the two-surgical-site approach makes it much easier to be accepted by patients. Moreover, if the right tissue is used to bridge the junction, then the color and contour of the gums near the exposed roots would also be more predictable.

If gum recession is too severe and causes great concern, consult with your periodontist concerning gum recession treatment plans such as gum recession surgery . There are several approaches to restore gum tissue, but the most common option is to take healthy tissue from the roof of the mouth (the donor area) and place it in the areas of gum recession (the recipient area). This type of graft is called a connective tissue graft of gum recession surgery. It is a very predictable and durable procedure when done correctly.

How to Stop Gum Recession: Preventive Measures and Lifestyle Changes

Oral hygiene habits

One of the biggest concerns for people asking for how to stop gum recession is the control of plaque accumulation. When brushing teeth, the pressure of the toothbrush should allow the bristles to reach between the teeth. An electric toothbrush can also help in maintaining the correct brush pressure and speed. The use of a toothbrush with a small head and soft bristles is highly recommended to avoid trauma during oral hygiene procedures. An appropriate brushing technique must be performed daily. The chosen toothbrush is used to clean both the outer and inner surfaces of the teeth. The outer concern refers to the vestibular surfaces, while the inner concern refers to the lingual ones. The chewing surfaces require circular movements during the brush phase. A constant and brutish pressure is not recommended on all dental surfaces affected by the position of the gingival margin. The decision to move the toothbrush should be changed daily to allow proper biomechanical stress of the gingival tissues. Times ranging from 2 to 3 minutes are reported as being the most suitable for the brushing tooth phase, using a brushing technique that allows extra care to be taken with the gingiva.

Professional oral hygiene

Regular professional oral hygiene sessions are necessary to prevent further periodontal problems, like increasing the depth of the pockets and preventing tooth mobility. They allow for accurate deep oral cleaning, both supragingival and subgingival. During these appointments, the accumulation of plaque and the microbial biofilm formation on the tooth surfaces are removed, and the presence of demineralizing areas is assessed to be a remedy for how to fix gum recession.

The stages of professional oral hygiene for how to fix gum recession include: bringing the patient’s pathologies and the clinical outcomes of the hygiene phase to the attention of the patient; professional deep cleaning with a cavity-curing curette; cleaning with air-flow abrasion of the driving surfaces; tooth polishing with fluoride-containing pastes; a re-evaluation of the patient’s condition necessary for supporting the self-care educational phase. The patient should be advised, based on the findings, to perform more specific and frequent oral hygiene procedures not only to support results but also to improve microbiological control over time. In conclusion, improving oral hygiene is an empirical aim that is well-rooted in the international literature and is aimed at correctly maintaining facilities currently in oral cavities. Every identified dentition improvement should maintain quality in dental care in the presence of the gingiva. This is the real target for protecting these specific anatomical areas, reducing the loss of supporting bone and avoiding the appearance of 1 or 2 classes of mobility. Clinicians should use their skills to continually encourage patients to continue this long-term goal about oral hygiene, prompting them to make regular operations with the help of several short guidelines to avoid receding the gingiva.

Conclusion and Future Directions

Some studies have re-characterized the pattern of changes in receded areas and have observed a change over time that was initially a thin WKT and a gray color that then became a protected WKT colored mucosa. These beneficial changes in WKT can take up to 12 months. A lack of alternative long-term interventions for the problem suggests the use of chitosan-based biomaterials, which have demonstrated regenerative support of both soft and hard tooth-related tissues. These might be a promising solution for this challenging anatomical area. The use of elongated teeth for orthodontic therapy as a gum recession treatment  might be able to solve this issue openly for more patients by preventing inflammation. Makeup products contain various compounds that support the process of rebuilding dermis and could be tried for developing therapy to help the affected gingiva. Only a few selected cases of trauma-induced problems were found. Since oral mucosa cannot be removed due to the mobility and sensory sensations required for proper behavior in this area. For more serious issues, regular iontophoresis with A may stimulate the tied tendons or botox, in cases where they are too strong. Makeup products contain various compounds that support the fast process of rebuilding both dermis and have been tested for developing therapy for the affected gingiva. That’s why it was of interest to the current issue of the journal’s coverage.

The relationship between gum recession gum disease and periodontal and gingival disease has been well established. The causes range from trauma to the underlying tissue, to the position of teeth in the dental arch. The resultant trauma-induced gum recession makes it physically difficult to practice good oral hygiene, which may lead to further periodontal problems. Moreover, root sensitivity caused by exposed roots, particularly in areas of continued gingival recession, can lead to pain and difficulty eating, impediments to maintaining a well-nourished, healthy state. There are diverse treatments such as gum recession surgery for the problem, with various degrees of invasiveness. The most conservative gum recession treatment aim to cover defects with new gingiva, often followed by the characterization of the aesthetic outcome. The most invasive treatment is indicated for more severe defects, often involving the patient having to quit smoking and the use of other tobacco products for treatment to be successful.