What You Can Do About Receding Gums

When your gums are healthy, they have a nice, snug fit around the top of your teeth. But when they’re not, they start to pull away and can eventually expose the roots hidden below. Sadly, once your gums start receding, you can’t grow them back. The good news though is that you can do some things that can help protect your teeth and keep your smile healthy.

Why Gums Recede

There are a few reasons your gums may be receding. Periodontal disease is one of the biggest causes of it. Plaque causes inflammation which causes your gums to retreat. The best way to avoid gum disease is to visit your dentist for your regular cleanings and checkups while practicing proper oral hygiene.

Proper technique is very important, for incorrect brushing or brushing too hard may also make your gums recede. Always use a gentle touch when brushing your teeth and choose a soft-bristled toothbrush. Grinding teeth from stress or sustaining an injury to your mouth can also impact the health of your gums.

What You Can Do About Receding Gums

To handle your gum problems, you’ll need to visit the dentist. The treatments available to you will all depend on what is causing your gums to retreat. Your options may include any of the following:

Scaling and root planing

This will usually be your dentist’s first recommendation. This treatment removes the tartar and plaque buildup from below your gumline in the places your toothbrush can’t reach. Root planing goes a bit further to remove those deposits from the roots of your teeth. Then your dentist will smooth those roots and help your gums reattach to your teeth.

Gum graft surgery

If the recession of your gums is rather severe, your dentist may encourage you to go with gum graft surgery. This involves taking a small piece of gum tissue from another point in your mouth to use for covering exposed roots. It might sound unpleasant, but if this is your alternative, you will prevent bone loss and keep your gums from further receding.

Pinhole surgical technique

A newer treatment, this one is meant for those with mild to moderate gum troubles. It’s minimally-invasive and requires your dentist to make a small hole in your gums above the exposed root. Using a special tool, your dentist will stretch and reposition your gum so it covers that exposed root.

As always, the best way to avoid these situations is to take good care of your oral health. Make sure you floss a minimum of once per day, use a good all-natural toothpaste or tooth oil, use soft bristled toothbrushes and replace them every two months, and stick to your dental appointments.

Looking for a 100% all-natural liquid tooth oil and mouth rinse? Check out OraMD Original Strength and OraMD Extra Strength. Subscribe to our Trusted Health Club newsletter for more information about natural living tips, natural health, oral health and skincare. If you are looking for more health resources make sure to check out the Trusted Health Resources list. 

Written By:

Jennifer Raskin is a freelance writer, wife and mom that loves cold weather despite her location in Florida, cooking, reading, watching ‘80s movies, weight-lifting, and wine tasting.

Reviewed By:

Founder Ray Spotts has a passion for all things natural and has made a life study of nature as it relates to health and well-being. Ray became a forerunner bringing products to market that are extraordinarily effective and free from potentially harmful chemicals and additives. For this reason Ray formed Trusted Health Products, a company you can trust for clean, effective, and healthy products. Ray is an organic gardener, likes fishing, hiking, and teaching and mentoring people to start new businesses. You can get his book for free, “How To Succeed In Business Based On God’s Word,” at www.rayspotts.com. 

Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash