Even with the best home care and regular dental visits, you may experience gum recession at some point in your life. This actually affects to some degree the majority of our population.
Before and after gingival gum graft. (JADA)
“Gum recession is when the margin of the gum tissue surrounding the teeth wears away, or pulls back, exposing more of the tooth, or the tooth’s root.” (Oral B) Gum recession can often be a slow process, and one day you may look at your teeth and realize they look “longer.”
Typical Causes of Recession
• Periodontal Disease and plaque along the gumline
• Trauma
• Chewing Tobacco
• Anatomy/type of tissue
• Irregular tooth position
• Aggressive brushing
Treatment for Recession
If left untreated, the recession will continue to increase. Now, while that may be a slow progression unfortunately the resulting bone loss is irreversible. To prevent further recession the cause will need to be determined.
In some cases, it may be advised that the cause be treated (quitting tobacco, brushing less aggressively, treating periodontal disease, etc) and the recession is monitored for any further progression. In other cases, a gingival graft may be recommended.
One of the single most important controllable factors for preventing recession is your oral health. Keeping up with regular hygiene visits with your hygienist. We recommend implementing a sound home care routine of brushing 2x/a day and flossing daily to greatly decrease the start and progression of recession. As always, if you have questions or areas of concern, please let us know on your next visit!
Faster, better, and more comfortable care is available at Dental Care Of Sumner. We truly live up to our name with an office packed full of advanced technology and a team who is helping move dentistry into the 21st century.