If your mouth is feeling a bit off lately or experiencing an unusual amount of sensitivity in your gums, you may be dealing with receding gums. This common dental issue arises from various factors, including advanced periodontitis and improper oral hygiene.
Thankfully, with the right treatment plan, restoring your gums to their former state is possible.
What Are Receding Gums?
Receding gums is a dental condition characterized by gradually wearing away the gum tissue around the teeth. This can lead to exposed tooth roots and increased sensitivity. It can also contribute to overall gum disease and potential tooth loss.
Causes of Receding Gums
Receding gums can be caused by various factors, including poor oral hygiene, aging, brushing too hard, and gum disease. Gum disease, which is caused by bacteria, leads to the destruction of connective tissue and bone. This, in turn, causes the gums to pull away from the teeth.
Other factors can also contribute to receding gums, such as smoking, grinding teeth, hormonal changes in women, and a genetic predisposition.
Symptoms of Receding Gums
One of the most common symptoms of receding gums is increased tooth sensitivity. Some of the other prevalent symptoms of receding gum include
1. Swollen or Bleeding Gums: Swelling or tenderness in the gums can be signs of inflamed gums and possible gum recession. Additionally, if you notice your gums bleeding when brushing, it could indicate deeper problems.
2. Gum Line Recession: Gum recession occurs when your gums stretch away from your teeth, exposing the tooth’s roots and sometimes even your tooth’s surface. As well as making your teeth more sensitive, it can result in a hollowed-out appearance of your gums around the teeth.
3. Tooth Mobility: Your teeth become loose when the bone and tissue that supports them are lost or damaged. If your teeth suddenly become loose, it may be because the gum recession has caused the area around it to weaken.
4. Longer-Looking Teeth: When your gums recede, your teeth may look longer than usual. This is because as the gums pull away, more of the tooth’s surface is exposed, giving the tooth a longer appearance.
5. Persistent Bad Breath: Constant bad breath can be a sign of gum disease and worsen due to gum recession. Not only is bad breath an unpleasant symptom, but it can also cause distress for those around you.
Treating Receding Gums
Similar to preventive techniques, several treatments are available to help with receding gums, ranging from at-home remedies to professional treatments. According to dentakay dentists, the first step in developing a successful treatment strategy for your receding gums is identifying the underlying problem.
How to Treat Receding Gums Naturally
- Improve Your Oral Hygiene: Practicing excellent oral hygiene is the best way to stop receding gums. This means brushing your teeth twice daily with a soft-bristled toothbrush and flossing daily.
- Use Essential Oils: Some essential oils like tea tree oil and peppermint oil can help reduce inflammation and improve gum health. Dilute the oil with a carrier oil and massage it into your gums.
- Use a Mouthguard: Mouthguards can help reduce wear and tear on your gums by preventing night clenching or grinding.
- Use a Saline Rinse: Saltwater or saline rinse can reduce bacteria in the mouth and help improve gum health.
- Use Natural Remedies: Natural remedies like aloe vera, green tea, chamomile tea, and lemon juice can reduce inflammation and promote healing.
Professional Treatments for Receding Gums
- Ultrasonic Treatment: This professional treatment uses ultrasonic tools to remove tartar, plaque, and calculus from above and below the gum line.
- Root Planing and Scaling: This common gum recession treatment involves the deepest teeth and gums cleaning, often requiring multiple visits.
- Tissue Regeneration: This treatment helps the gums regenerate tissue lost due to recession.
- Surgery: A more invasive option, surgery can involve the removal of existing gum tissue and repositioning the remaining tissue.
- Laser Therapy: This treatment uses laser energy to remove diseased or infected tissue, clear bacteria, and promote the growth of healthy gum tissue.
Tips for Preventing Receding Gums
You know how uncomfortable and painful it can be if you suffer from receding gums. Luckily, you can do a few things to help prevent further damage and even reverse the damage already done.
1. Make sure to visit your dentist for regular check-ups – Regular dental care is important for preventing receding gums. Seeing your dentist will enable them to identify any early signs of gum recession and provide the necessary treatment.
2. Practice good oral hygiene – This includes brushing your teeth twice daily, flossing at least once daily, and using an antiseptic mouthwash daily. Doing this will help ensure your gums are healthy and reduce the chances of receding gums.
3. Quit smoking – Smoking can increase your chance of gum disease and receding gums, so it is important to try to quit if you are a smoker.
4. Be mindful of habits that may irritate gums –Habits such as nail-biting, chewing on pencils and pens, and chewing extremely hard foods can all put pressure on the gums and increase your risk of gum recession.
5. Cut back on acidic foods and drinks – Foods and drinks high in sugar and acid can erode the enamel on your teeth, leading to gum recession. Lowering your intake of these items can help protect your gums.
Conclusion
Receding gums can be prevented and reversed with the right combination of oral hygiene, at-home remedies, and professional treatments. Understanding the causes of receding gums and taking the necessary steps to treat the condition is important.
Hence, if you are experiencing receding gums, visit your dentist regularly for a professional cleaning and examination.
