Top Reasons Why People Could Develop Receding Gums and How To Treat It

ALL ABOUT YOUR GUMS
While your teeth are an important part of how healthy your smile is, your gums are just as important. This delicate tissue surrounding your teeth is the substructure of your smile and performs the important purposes of keeping your teeth in position and shielding their vulnerable roots. Therefore, gum erosion is more than just an aesthetic problem; it is a worrisome oral health condition. To keep your gums healthy, you need to know the leading precursors to gum recession. With that knowledge, you can adapt your habits and oral health practices to protect yourself from gum recession. Plus, if you already have receding gums, there are many options for procedures that can help in healing your gumline. At MINT dentistry in Spring, our knowledgeable team of dental professionals performs preventive care and multiple treatments for gum recession, which will be selected according to the reason behind your gum erosion. Read on to find out more about receding gums, the causes, and effective treatment options. Local men and women who want to ensure their gum health and would like to keep their teeth and gums looking sexy are invited to plan an oral health assessment with a dentist in Spring, TX.

TOOTH LOSS AND GUM RECESSION
A receding gumline occurs when the delicate gum tissue starts to withdraw from the teeth. More and more of the tooth is visible until, over time, the sensitive roots are also uncovered. Gum recession generally does not occur abruptly. Often, you'll start to have symptoms such as red, swollen, and tender gums that bleed easily. Discharge at your gumline and consistent foul-smelling breath (halitosis) are also indicators that typically develop before gum recession. If you have any of them, you need to schedule an appointment with your dentist in Spring, TX as soon as possible. If gum recession is left untreated, your teeth can loosen or fall out because the gums can no longer keep them in place.

LEADING REASONS BEHIND RECEDING GUMS
Regrettably, receding gums are a frequently seen dental problem, particularly for patients over the age of 40. There are several causes of gum recession, which will aid your dental practitioner in choosing the best way to manage yours. Several of the most frequently seen causes of gum erosion are:

• CLENCHING OR GRINDING TEETH
  Many people grind their teeth and clench their jaws when they are worried during the day or while sleeping (nocturnal bruxism). The pressure of clenching and grinding can degrade your teeth and oral soft tissue.
• HORMONE CHANGES
  The shifting hormones that females go through during puberty, pregnancy, and all the way through menopause can trigger intensified gum inflammation as well as heightened sensitivity. It is very important to be aware of gingivitis during pregnancy, since it might affect the health of both the pregnant woman and the child.
• GENETICS
  Hereditary factors may make you vulnerable to gum recession, which will make it more necessary to take extra care of your oral health. Ask whether any close relatives have dealt with gum disease and then inform your dentist.
• PERIODONTAL DISEASE
  The number one reason behind gum recession is periodontitis, the latest phase of gum disease. This infection of your gum tissue will likely cause gum recession if not correctly treated.
• MISALIGNED BITES AND IRREGULARLY POSITIONED TEETH
  Similar to tooth grinding, irregularly positioned teeth and malocclusion (bite misalignment) can put extra force on your jaws, teeth, and gums. Set up an appointment with your dentist in Spring, TX to talk about dental options like Invisalign to safely move your bite into the proper position.
• SMOKING OR CHEWING TOBACCO
  The poisonous toxins in any tobacco products can hurt your gums. In addition, though they don't contain tobacco, the gooey elements in e-cigarettes and vaping liquid can also be dangerous. Talk about tobacco cessation with your doctor and then make an appointment with your dental practitioner to learn about ways to enhance your oral health.
• POOR DENTAL CARE
  Choosing not to brush and floss after eating causes food detritus and plaque to build up along your gums, which can promote gum (periodontal) disease. Periodontal disease is a very common reason that individuals start to have gum recession. Flossing is particularly critical in eliminating this accumulation from your gums and stimulating blood circulation.
• BRUSHING YOUR TEETH TOO MUCH
  Though it may sound strange, brushing your teeth too much can also be a cause of receding gums. Brushing too much or too aggressively slowly eats away at the soft tissue. All dentists recommend using a brush with soft bristles when you brush your teeth and massage your gums.

OPTIONS FOR TREATING GUM EROSION
To decide on the ideal treatment for your receding gums, your dental practitioner will first need to identify the cause. Gum erosion caused by gum disease will be treated based on how serious your gum disease is. For men and women who present with the first stage of periodontal disease, called gingivitis, dentists usually do a number of scaling and root planing (SRP) sessions. A very common procedure, SRP therapy scrapes away the buildup from your gum pockets and polishes away pits in the enamel to prevent future accumulation. If SRP deep cleaning is not able to improve the health of your gums, or if you are experiencing the more advanced stage of gum disease (periodontitis), your dental practitioner may perform gum surgery, or he or she could refer you to a periodontist. During this procedure, tiny, precise cuts will be made in your gum tissue to reach deeper into your gum pockets and remove buildup along your tooth roots. Both SRP treatments and gum surgery are generally followed by a round of prescription antibiotics to kill any lingering bacteria. Following SRP treatment and periodontal surgery, your dental practitioner will wait a bit for your gums to get better and regrow on their own. In cases where your gumline remains too high, gum graft surgery could be done. Periodontal plastic surgeries often use tissue from different areas of your mouth, for example, the roof of your mouth, to add coverage where necessary on your gumline. Synthetic and donor grafts might also be used for those who don't have enough tissue to build a healthy gumline. After you have recovered from gum grafting, it is vital that you practice a consistent home oral hygiene routine and schedule regular appointments with your dental practitioner in Spring, TX for yearly dental checkups and twice-yearly professional cleanings.

IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF YOUR GUMLINE
Your gums are the foundation of your oral well-being, so you need to maintain your gums to have an attractive, vibrant smile. Schedule an oral health checkup with your dentist if you have questions about gum disease or gum recession. At MINT dentistry in Spring, our experienced staff of dental professionals offers diagnoses and many treatment options for gum recession, including scaling and root planing, periodontal surgery, and gum grafting. Reach out to our office in Spring, TX to set up appointments for your family.