Can You Fix Receding Gums?

Gum recession is a common condition in adult patients, especially older adults. Recession is when the gum tissue begins to shrink or pull away from the tooth surface. This happens when the gum pockets between the tissue and the surface of the tooth become infected with a buildup of tartar and bacteria.

Fix Receding Gums

Gum recession is treatable, but it is important to address the issue as soon as possible. Minor recession may be treated with a periodontal deep cleaning, called scaling and root planing. Your dental office may offer this treatment, but it is commonly performed by a periodontist, a gum specialist.

For a scaling and root planing, a local anesthetic is administered to the area being treated. This allows your provider to clean the gum pockets below the gum line to clear out any infection. This treatment is usually done over the course of two or three appointments, simply to avoid your entire mouth being numb all at once. One side of the mouth is cleaned at one appointment, then the other is cleaned at your second appointment. Often, one final appointment is scheduled at which your provider will make sure everything is healing properly and re-treat any areas that need it.

Another treatment option for small areas of severe recession is gum grafting. A gum graft is a procedure that uses tissue harvested from either the patient’s mouth or donor or synthetic tissue. This new tissue is placed over the affected area and secured with stitches. Over time, the new tissue will heal and integrate with the existing healthy tissue.

Flap surgery is yet another treatment option used to restore gum recession. For this procedure, a small incision is made around the tissue in the affected area, which is then flapped back to expose the tooth root. This allows the doctor to clean away any tartar and bacterial buildup, and smooth the root surface before suturing the tissue back in place.

Poor oral hygiene is the leading cause of periodontal disease and gum recession, so it is important to take care of your mouth not only for hygienic reasons, but because your overall systemic health is directly correlated to the health of your mouth. Periodontal disease should be addressed as soon as it is identified. Left untreated, patients risk bone and tooth loss, and studies show a clear link between periodontal disease and other medical conditions including heart disease, diabetes, and dementia.

Keeping your mouth healthy is much less costly and less painful than treating issues down the road. Take the time to brush your teeth at least twice a day with a soft-bristled toothbrush and floss at least once a day. This can go a long way to maintaining oral and overall health. Speak with your dentist as soon as possible if you notice any new or worsening tooth sensitivity, or swelling or bleeding in the gum tissue, so they can perform an evaluation for periodontal disease and begin treatment as soon as possible.

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