The most concerning cause of receding gums is periodontal disease, though there are a few different reasons that the gums can recede and pull away from the surfaces of the teeth. Treatment for receding gums varies depending on the cause, and only your dentist can determine the specific causes of your receding gums and recommend treatments; if you suspect that your gums are receding, see your dentist. Especially if the culprit is periodontal disease, prompt, comprehensive treatment might mean saving your natural teeth, which can loosen and fall out when periodontal disease progresses unchecked.
Healthy gum tissue should appear pink and supple, with a gum line that is visibly consistent across all the teeth. When gums begin to recede, they may appear swollen or red, and the gum line begins to appear inconsistent, with some teeth appearing longer than others due to an erratic gum line. This can happen slowly, but your dentist will assess your gums as part of your regular dental checkups; you might not notice incremental recession in the gums, but your dentist will. If it’s been a while since you’ve seen your dentist, make an appointment, especially if you notice any signs of receding gums. These indicators could include visible swelling and redness in the gums, sensitivity in certain areas of the gum line, a bad breath or bad taste in the mouth, or even noticeably loose teeth.
Prompt treatment of receding gums is important for a few reasons. The foremost reason is that the pockets created by receding gum tissue can easily trap damaging bacterial plaque, which accumulates below the gum line and helps periodontal disease develop and progress.
If this plaque is allowed to harden and turn into tartar, it remains trapped below the gum line and encourages inflammation and disease. The first line of defense against gums that are receding because of periodontal disease is a treatment called dental scaling and root planing. Gums that have begun receding won’t grow back, but it’s possible to keep the problem from progressing, and scaling and root planing can help keep gum recession to a minimum and restore the oral health.
The scaling and root planing procedure is sometimes called a dental deep cleaning. During this dental deep clean, your dentist removes plaque and tartar from the surfaces of the teeth at and below the gum line. Once the surfaces of the teeth are cleaned and smoothed, the gums often return to their correct position and alignment and the gaps formed by recession are eliminated. Some patients have periodic dental deep cleaning treatments to maintain the health of the gums over time.
In more serious cases of gum recession, gum grafting or flap surgery may be recommended to rebuild damaged gum tissue, and some dentists also use dental bonding treatments to craft artificial gum tissue and restore the gum line and function of the gums. When receding gums arise because of improper oral hygiene, your dentist and dental hygienist can provide instruction for proper brushing and flossing; once these new habits are adopted, existing gum recession can be managed and additional recession prevented.
When receding gums are caused by an underlying issue, treating the underlying issue can restore the gums to health. Maintaining a balanced diet and quitting smoking can also help prevent gum recession from progressing, and regular dental checkups will allow your dentist to monitor recession and intervene when needed.