Receding Gums: Best Ways to Handle It

When brushing your teeth, be sure to remember to take care of your gums as well. Flossing and rinsing your mouth with mouthwash are both strongly recommended in maintaining your gum health and prevent receding gums.

Gum Disease Treatment in Tempe

If you are not careful with your routine, you may experience any number of gum-related issues, such as when your gums recede.

This condition is scientifically known as gingival recession, and it can quickly become a massive issue if it is not taken care of as soon as possible.

With receding gums, the pink gums that normally cover the root of your teeth start to push back. In the most extreme cases, this pushing back is caused by rot. Though sometimes abnormal tooth positioning may cause gum recession.

Factors and Risks

Though the condition sounds frightening, receding gums are fairly common and ordinary. And they may go unnoticed when they are at their earliest stages.

Risk factors vary depending on the person. Age is perhaps the biggest telling sign, as more than 88% of all people over the age of 65 will have receding gums.

Poor dieting and hygiene habits can be factors as well. It becomes easier for your gums to fall into a state of disrepair with combined factors. Sometimes hereditary factors may contribute as well.

Some people are more prone to recede gums than others. Even if they are relatively young and practice good oral hygiene.

Primary Concerns of Receding Gums

The biggest concern with receding gums is the exposure of the teeth. As the gums start to pull back and reveal more and more of the tooth, the roots of the teeth start to become more exposed.

This results in further decay and infection as the roots become susceptible to bacteria in the mouth. Once the recession becomes particularly severe, individuals will start to notice more telling signs of a problem. Tooth sensitivity, infection, or pain will become much more apparent and difficult to deal with.

Avoiding Physical Wear

Physical wearing of the gums can even occur because of mechanical factors. Individuals who use toothbrushes with particularly hard bristles or have an especially rough brushing pattern may contribute to the wearing away of their gums.

Varying up the brushing technique or switching to a softer toothbrush can be some of the best ways to avoid such issues. Sometimes physical factors like misaligned teeth and dental treatment damages may also cause physical wear to the gums. Especially if the issue has not been addressed.

Lip piercings may also contribute if the individual does not take care of the area and leaves a harsh object in the piercing for too long.

Speaking with Your Dentist

Individuals who feel as though they may be at an increased risk for gum recession should consult with their dentist as soon as possible. Reversing gum recession is possible if the earliest signs are caught quickly enough. The longer that the condition is allowed to continue, the more difficult it may be to reverse damage.

However, ultimately all types of gum recession are treatable, and it is possible to stop damage from becoming more pronounced through the right changes in dieting and oral hygiene.

If you're concerned about receding gums, give our office a call today, and let's see what we can do for you.

Noble Dental Care is accepting new patients and would love to be your Tempe dentist. Call our office today for an appointment. We look forward to meeting you!