Receding gums are a common dental issue, which often goes unnoticed since those who suffer from this problem don’t always know about it. The only way for you to find out about receding gums is if you visit the dentist. What’s more, the whole process of receding gums is mostly gradual, which is why it can be difficult to point out on your own.
The first sign of gum recession is tooth sensitivity. What’s more, in case you feel there’s an incision near your gums or if one of your teeth seems longer than usual, it would be the right time to go see your dentist.
There are several reasons why gums tend to recede. Some of these reasons are listed below:
1. Periodontal Disease: This disease can destroy the gum as well as the underlying tissues, due to which it results in bone loss. Periodontal disease is mostly the major factor in gum recession.
2. Brushing Your Teeth Too Aggressively: Of course, it is essential to brush your teeth on a daily basis for 2 minutes, but brushing your teeth too hard doesn’t do you any good. In fact, it wears out the enamel.
3. No Dental Care: Dental care is the most basic aspect of the maintenance of dental hygiene and a healthy mouth.
4. Tobacco: Gum recession and plaque formation are both caused by chewing tobacco.
5. Tooth Grinding: Grinding your teeth also leads to receding gums.
6. Misaligned/Crooked Teeth: When a tooth isn’t placed evenly on the gum and bone, it can also cause receding gums.
If you are suffering from receding gums, your dentist will likely carry out deep cleaning (also called Scaling and Root planning). Deep cleaning makes it inconvenient for the bacteria to get attached to the gum line since this area is made smoother thanks to the removal of tartar. Of course, in severe cases, gum surgery is often required.
The surgical procedure which is used in your condition mainly depends on the intensity of your problem. The dentist may use any of the three procedures described below:
1. Soft Tissue Graft: This procedure commonly involves cutting a flap of skin from the roof of the palate, and removing the connective tissue. Afterward, it gets stitched back to the gum tissue which can be found around the root.
2. Regeneration: In this procedure, the bone which is destroyed due to receding gums is restored.
3. Pocket Depth Reduction: In this procedure, the gum tissue which is affected gets folded back. The procedure also revolves around the removal of dangerous bacteria. After that, the gum tissue gets secured, which reduces the pocket’s size.
