Do Gums Grow Back After Receding? Facts About Gum Recession

If you want to know the answer to the question ‘do gums grow back?’, the simple answer is no. Hence, if you experience red, swollen, shrinking gums or pain while brushing your teeth, book an appointment with your dentist to get holistic dental care. Those symptoms could be an indication of gum recession. Keep reading to know what you can do to address receding gums, even if they will not grow back. Consult the dentists from CP Dental in Brisbane today to make sure that your gums are healthy.

What Happens When You Have Receding Gums

Gum recession is the condition where your gums pull away from a tooth, allowing its delicate root to be exposed. This condition can lead to tooth sensitivity and affect your smile. In addition, receding gums create small spaces where plaque can collect. If neglected, it can eventually result in bone and tooth loss.

It is essential to know that your gum tissue does not regenerate the way other kinds of tissue do, such as the epithelial tissue of your skin. Therefore, receding gums do not grow back. Luckily, even though that is the truth, there are different approaches to detect gum recession early and keep it from getting worse.

Symptoms of Gum Recession

Receding gums can happen without any symptoms. That is why getting regular dental appointments is essential, as your dentist or dental hygienist will be able to detect its early indications. In any case, here are some common symptoms of gum recession that you might notice on your own include:

Bad breath
Bleeding when you brush or floss your teeth
Exposed tooth roots that cause sensitivity
Pain at the gumline with red, swollen gums
Shrunken gums
A loose tooth

Causes of Gum Recession

Gum recession occurs because of many possible reasons. Generally, these include:

Poor Oral Health

The gums encompassing the teeth can become inflamed once the bacteria in plaque develop between the teeth and gums. If neglected, this condition can cause damage to the gums and bone structure.

Advanced Gum Disease

In advanced gum disease, called periodontitis, the gums recede from the teeth and create pockets. These might become infected, and when they do, this can harm the bone and tissue that supports the teeth in place, making them loose and unstable. Eventually, if untreated, this can lead to tooth loss.

Aggressive Brushing and Flossing

It is incredible to be concerned about dental care. However, ensure you are gently brushing your teeth and not cleaning hard. Over-brushing can wear out the tooth enamel and result in damage and receding gums.

Hereditary Qualities

At times, dental problems are somewhat out of our control. If one of your parents or relatives has developed gum recession, you might be in greater danger.

Abnormal Tooth Positioning

Having misaligned teeth or bites can make unnecessary friction on the area, making your gums recede.

Grinding or Clenching Your Teeth

Teeth grinding or jaw clenching, also known as bruxism, is a habit that can cause various dental problems, including gum recession. Similar to unusual tooth positioning, the additional force applied can harm your gums.

Hormonal Changes

A woman’s body can encounter many phases of dramatic hormonal changes, such as puberty, pregnancy, and menopause. Sadly, these normal life stages can make a woman more vulnerable to gum disease and recession.

Injury to Gum Tissue

When you get a traumatic mouth injury, gum tissue may recede. In any case, recession can occur in the area of harm or near it.

Using Any Tobacco Products

Using tobacco products, such as cigarettes, can increase your risk of gum recession, improving the probability of numerous dental issues for various reasons. These include weakening your immune system and repressing your saliva flow that allows for more plaque to develop.

How to Stop Receding Gums

If you want to know whether you have gum recession or think you have receding gums, visit reliable dental offices like SDG’s clinic in Baulkham Hills, NSW. Making an appointment with a dentist can help get professional advice on how to stop receding gums. Generally, receding gum treatments include:

Scaling and Root Planing

The first thing you need to do is to book an appointment with your dentist. They will check how far your gums have receded to identify the best next steps. Suppose you have microbes in the tiny spaces made by receding gums. Then, in that case, they will probably begin with a deep cleaning treatment known as scaling and root planing.

This technique includes scraping away plaque and tartar from your teeth using a dental handpiece and below your gum line. Your dentist can complete this treatment with either a hand-held scraper or an ultrasonic tool that applies vibrations to loosen and eliminate plaque.

Sometimes, your dentist may use a slow-release antibacterial gel beneath your gum line or recommend an antimicrobial mouthwash. This is frequently the initial step in addressing receding gums since eliminating bacteria can delay and sometimes even stop the process. To keep up with the results, you should follow good oral hygiene practices to prevent future plaque development.

Surgical Treatments

Your dentist may prescribe surgery to remove bacteria under your gums or supplant missing gum tissue for more severe cases. Furthermore, standard surgical procedures include:

Gum graft: A dentist or oral surgeon will get gum tissue from another piece of your mouth. Then, they will surgically put it around the receding part. This can both lessen the presence of receding gums and protect your gums and teeth from future harm.

Flap surgery: Your dentist will create a small cut in your gum tissue to raise it up and remove plaque they could not get to during the deep cleaning procedure. After removing the bacteria, they will put back your gum tissue in place. This technique can forestall possible bone loss.

Bonding: A dentist can place a gum-colored resin over the exposed root. This procedure both lessens the presence of receding gums and secures the sensitive roots of your teeth.

What About Natural Remedies?

Several individuals claim that some natural remedies can treat receding gums. Probably the most popular ones include:

aloe vera
oil pulling
drinking green tea

Each of these natural home remedies can help boost oral health. In fact, several studies stated that natural remedies can help reduce plaque and gum inflammation. Although various studies propose that these natural remedies might be advantageous to your oral health, none of these displayed any capacity to make receding gums grow back.

Conclusion

Receding gums is a typical periodontal condition. Even if you have excellent oral hygiene practice, genetics and aging can still cause gum loss. Though your gum tissue cannot return to its usual form, numerous treatment alternatives can help slow down or even stop the process. Hence, visit your dentist to help you figure out the best treatment option based on your overall oral health and the condition of recession you have.