Gum recession—or being “long in the tooth”—isn’t necessarily a rite of passage into your golden years of life. Receding gumlines can be prevented or minimised when you understand the root cause behind them.
In most circumstances, receding gums are because of one of the following situations:
Gum Disease
Periodontal disease (frequently referred to as periodontitis or gum disease) is an infection that causes gingiva (gum tissue) deterioration.
When plaque accumulates along the edges of our gum tissues, our bodies respond to it like any other bacterial infection. Our gums become inflamed, red, and begin to bleed whenever they’re touched. The longer the plaque goes undisturbed, the more likely it is to calcify into a rock-like accumulation we refer to as “tartar” or “calculus”. Once calculus develops, toothbrushing and flossing won’t be able to remove the buildup; only a professional cleaning will help.
Why does it matter if there is tartar buildup? Because chronic bacteria on your teeth will cause the gums to detach from your root surfaces. In turn, periodontal “pockets” develop below the gums, allowing more bacteria to accumulate. The more aggressive this cyclic condition becomes, the more severe the symptoms, which include:
- Receding gums
- Spaces between teeth (due to gingiva loss)
- Exposed roots
- Tooth sensitivity
- Root-surface cavities
- Bone loss
- Bad breath
- Loose teeth
- Teeth falling out
If you notice areas of gum recession along with swollen or bleeding gingiva, you likely have gum disease. Treatment typically includes a series of deep cleanings to remove the source of the bacteria. At that point, you can maintain clean tooth surfaces with brushing and flossing, preventing relapse or additional tissue loss.
Unfortunately, gum disease goes much further than just jeopardising your dental health. It also allows bacteria to spread into your bloodstream, lungs, and other vital organs. Chronic periodontitis statistically increases the risk of life-threatening heart attacks and strokes, not to mention conditions like diabetes, pneumonia, infertility or stillbirth.
Poor Oral Hygiene
Is your home hygiene routine as thorough as it ought to be? Are you brushing twice a day (for two minutes at a time) and flossing at least once a day? If not, you’re more likely to develop gum disease and thereby raise your chances of receding gums.
A revamped oral hygiene routine is essential to prevent gum recession because of periodontitis. If you’ve fallen behind on your daily home care, scheduling a six-monthly scale and clean can help you get your smile back on track.
On the other hand, maybe you’re overzealous about your oral hygiene routine, to the point that you’re too aggressive with your toothbrushing. Scrubbing your teeth too hard or using a firm-bristled toothbrush will almost always lead to receding gumlines and tooth abrasions (yes, scrubbing too hard can wear through your enamel).
Proper toothbrushing should be done gently, with a soft or extra-soft bristled toothbrush. When applying pressure, don’t push any harder than what will cause slight blanching in your gum tissues. Light pressure is fine, but firm pressure will damage the tissues and tooth over time.
Additionally, make sure you’re making shorter strokes on specific teeth. Most of us tend to get a bit “heavy-handed” and scrub harder when we’re in a rush. Take your time, focusing on one or two teeth at a time, and make shorter strokes along the gumlines. Then move your toothbrush to the next tooth. If you use an electric toothbrush, simply hold it in that location and allow it to do all of the work for you; there’s no need to scrub with your hand at the same time.
Teeth Grinding
Bruxism is a condition where people suffer from chronic teeth clenching and grinding. It’s a habit that can occur during daytime hours—such as when you’re focusing on work or feeling stressed—or during your sleep. Night-time bruxism can be triggered by stressful lifestyles or even medication, but it’s also linked to conditions like sleep apnoea.
Since sleeping disorders increase your risk of night-time teeth grinding, our Caulfield North dentist will be sure to screen for warning signs during your regular checkups. Flattened teeth, prominent jaw muscles, frequent headaches, and an enlarged neck circumference are just a few of the red flags.
How does teeth grinding cause the gums to recede? While it’s easy to understand how bruxism creates worn, flat enamel or broken dental work, your teeth aren’t wearing against each other at the gumlines. But those areas are still suffering from the excess tension. What’s happening is microscopic areas of flexion in the “necks” of your teeth along the gumlines. As you clench and grind your teeth for hours on end, those spaces will suffer the strain of all that pressure. In time, the gums recede as the enamel starts to break away, creating “abfractions” (notches) in the tooth surfaces along the edges of the gingiva.
Treatment for teeth grinding usually includes a protective bite splint or nightguard, depending on when you suffer from bruxing the most. If your condition is because of undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnoea, a sleep study, CPAP machine, or possible oral appliance can improve your oxygen flow and thereby reduce the bruxism habit. Our Caulfield North dentist can help you identify the warning signs, improving your health overall.
Bite splints don’t last forever, but that’s the point. It’s better to cushion your bruxism to lessen the strain on your smile. Wearing through your nightguard prevents you from damaging your teeth; nightguards can easily be replaced at a later date as needed. We also offer Botox to reduce teeth clenching and create a more contoured smile as an alternative treatment.
“Thin” Gums
Gum tissues are essential for stabilising our teeth and providing an appropriate connection with the underlying bone structure. However, our unique oral anatomy can cause us to have thin gingiva in some parts of our mouth, such as across our lower front teeth or over our upper canines (eye teeth/cuspids).
Is there anything necessarily wrong with having thin gums? No — just like there’s nothing wrong with having thin vs. thick hair. However, it does mean you’ll want to tend to those areas appropriately and not be too aggressive with your brushing. Even though they’re healthy, the thin gum tissue will always be more susceptible to damage or infection, so those are the areas you’re going to need to look out for.
Crooked Teeth
When teeth are misaligned, it causes the gums to pull in different directions. As a result, the gingiva is stretched thin in those spaces. For example, a lower front tooth that tilts forward more towards the lip is likely to have receding gumlines because of the pulling on that area of tissue. The teeth next to it may be more prone to gum recession as well.
Correcting the alignment of your teeth can reduce the chances and severity of receding gums but only if those movements are made in a precise and gradual manner. Rapid tooth movement or “fast” orthodontic treatment can stress the bone and gingiva around the roots of teeth, triggering additional gum recession if not done carefully.
If you had a parent with thin gums or crooked teeth, you might be more likely to inherit those characteristics from them. Fortunately, it also allows you to be more aware of the risks at hand so that you can be proactive about preventing them.
How to Stop Receding Gums From Getting Worse
If you notice early symptoms of receding gumlines—such as tooth sensitivity or visibly exposed root surfaces—don’t ignore them. Early intervention will help prevent the gum recession from getting worse, not to mention developing root-surface cavities.
In most situations, the best way to prevent receding gums is to adjust your oral hygiene routine by:
- Using a soft or extra-soft toothbrush
- Gently brushing along the gumlines using appropriate pressure
- Brushing long enough to remove plaque and prevent gingivitis
- Flossing between the teeth, just under the gums where plaque accumulates
- Scheduling preventative cleanings every six months
- Targeting areas of gum inflammation as early as possible
Are there treatments available for treating gum recession? Yes, but prevention is the best of them all! If you have moderate to severe areas of recession, Hawthorn Road Family Dental can work with you to create a care plan. Options such as bonding or gum grafting may be appropriate.
Gum grafting involves placing donor tissue over the exposed root surfaces to provide adequate coverage. In contrast, bonding is similar to placing a tooth-coloured filling over that exposed surface. Depending on the extent of tissue loss and the tooth’s location, one may be more appropriate than the other. Our Caulfield North dentist will discuss the advantages of each one so that you can select the option best for your health.
Treatment for Receding Gums
There’s nothing you can do on your own to reverse the gum recession. Thankfully, there are effective therapies our dental team can help with. Not only will repairing the receding gumlines help with aesthetics, but it will also preserve the integrity of your smile in the years (and decades) ahead of you.
Keeping your smile healthy starts with healthy gums. If you have concerns about receding gumlines, call our friendly dental team in Caulfield North today to book an appointment.
