How Do I Treat Receding Gums?

Receding gums are a common dental problem. Also known as gum recession, receding gums refers to what happens when the gum tissue surrounding the teeth begins to wear away or withdraw. When the gumline begins to recede it is going to expose more of a tooth’s roots, which can over time begin to become a problem. When receding gums begin to make it so that there are gaps in between the gums and the teeth, the likelihood that bacteria is going to get into these areas is very real. If bacteria does get inside the gaps it can lead to inflammation and disease.

If you are someone who has receding gums you will need to make an appointment with Advanced Dentistry Of Walnut Creek as soon as absolutely possible. If you do not, there is a chance that any damage caused to your teeth by gum recession may result in your losing one or more of your teeth.

Signs of receding gums

The first sign that someone’s gums may be receding is having sensitive teeth. When teeth become sensitive there is an underlying reason, making it essential for anyone with sensitive teeth to make a dental appointment for a proper diagnosis. Another sign that someone may have receding gums is that their teeth may appear to be a little longer than usual. Taking pictures of the gums in order to compare over a short amount of time can help determine whether or not one’s gums are indeed receding.

Causes of receding gums

Gum disease is one of the top causes for receding gums, which can often be avoided through regular brushing and flossing. Other causes for receding gums include brushing one’s teeth too hard, experiencing a lot of hormonal changes, smoking, clenching or grinding one’s teeth and being predisposed to gum disease due to genetics.

How Do I Treat Receding Gums?

There are a few different options for treating receding gums, which tends to depend on how mild or how severe the gum recession is. If the receding gum line is considered to be mild then an experienced dentist will often schedule a deep cleaning. A deep cleaning is able to clean any and all of the areas that may be causing the gum line to recede. A deep cleaning is also known as tooth scaling and root planing and is the best way to remove any plaque buildup on the teeth.

If the receding gums require more than a deep cleaning in order to correct the problem, gum surgery is often the next step. When gum surgery is performed an experienced dentist is able to repair any and all of the damage that the gum recession has already caused to the patient’s tooth or teeth.

Preventing gum recession

The best way you can prevent gum recession is to simply take good care of your oral health. This includes brushing and flossing at least twice daily and making regular dentist appointments.

For more information or to schedule an appointment with Advanced Dentistry Of Walnut Creek, request an appointment in our Walnut Creek dental office here: https://www.dentistrywalnutcreek.com. Or call us at (925) 937-2273.