Is Gum Recession Permanent?

If you’ve been told at a recent dental appointment that your gum line is receding, don’t panic. With today’s technology, there are ways to rebuild your gum tissue and get your gum recession under control.

Leaving your tooth roots bare puts them at a heightened risk of decay, and advanced gum recession can put your teeth in danger of discomfort and sensitivity.

Read on for how to take action against your receding gums before it develops into a bigger issue.

First step: determine the reason your gums are receding.

Before working to reverse your gum recession, you’ll want to make sure that you understand why your gum line is retreating. Changing responsible habits or improving a related condition will help your efforts to rebuild gum tissue last. Typical reasons for gum recession are:

Tooth Position.

Teeth are supposed to erupt in the center of their portion of the jaw bone, but they don’t always. If your teeth erupt outside of the healthy area, the root may become exposed. Thin tissue or no gum tissue may be able to form around the tooth. Orthodontic treatment can help move teeth into the desired positions allowing the gums to correctly build around the tooth.

Genetic Predisposition.

Depending on your genetics, you may have thicker or thinner gum tissue right from birth. The thickness or thinness is determined by genetics, and there’s nothing that can be done to alter your genes. If you have thin gum tissue, you’re more likely to experience gums that erode, tear or recede. Checking with your family members to see who else has experienced receding gums will help you get an idea of how your gums are likely to act.

Overall Oral Hygiene.

Brushing and flossing are necessary to build a healthy smile and remove plaque. Your daily cleanings should be performed gently to protect your delicate gum tissue, and if you’re brushing too hard, or not with a soft-bristle toothbrush, you could be overdoing your brushing, causing the gums to become inflamed or torn.

Teeth Grinding.

Long term amounts of excess pressure on your teeth from teeth grinding can lead to a collection of problems including gum recession. Start using a mouthguard while you sleep to help keep your gums safe and your gum line in the right place.

Gum Disease.

Infected gums cause the soft gum tissue to suffer damage. The gums then begin to pull away from the teeth, losing their grip and receding.

Next: decide on the treatment that best suits your needs

It used to be that a gum graft was the only way to rebuild gums after tissue loss. At Tompkins Dental, we’re proud to offer our patients a new treatment option that makes gum surgery simpler and more patient-friendly. The Chao Pinhole Surgical Technique allows our dentists to build out gums without incisions or stitches. Tissue doesn’t need to be taken from elsewhere in the mouth, as it does with a traditional gum graft.

This new procedure is so gentle that patients experience very little downtime with minimal discomfort and swelling. When compared to a traditional gum graft, the difference is staggering with patients smiling comfortably right after the procedure.

With pinhole gum surgery:

There’s no scalpel or sutures, so healing is rapid
Treatment is significantly faster than standard gum grafting
Treatment is permanent and if the cause of recession is corrected, it will last for years.

Identify whether you have periodontal disease

Because periodontal disease is painless in the early stages, it can be tough to self-diagnose. Watch for the following signs at home and schedule regular dental exams so your dentist can help you spot it early if it happens to you:

Red gums
Swollen gums
Bleeding gums
Teeth feeling loose
Spaces forming between teeth
Receding gum line
Pus or other fluids around the teeth and gums

Remember to brush gently but thoroughly

It’s always best to brush your teeth gently and with a soft-bristled toothbrush. Brush in a downward motion when brushing over your gum tissue to help prevent the tissue from rising upward.

If your gums seem to be changing, schedule a routine check-up with Thompkins Dental so we can have a better look at what’s going on with your gums. Catching gum disease in its earliest stages gives us our best chance of treating it.