As adults, one of the most important things we can do for our oral health is to practice preventative dentistry, but it’s not always enough to keep our mouths healthy. Unfortunately, one of the most common oral health issues adults face is receding gums. Receding gums can lead to further oral health issues, so it’s important to get treatment for this condition as soon as possible.
What Are the Common Causes of Gum Recession?
Gum recession is a common dental problem that can cause pain and discomfort. It occurs when the gum tissue surrounding your teeth starts to pull away from the tooth, exposing more of your tooth root. Common causes of gum recession include periodontal disease, misaligned teeth, aggressive brushing, and hormonal changes. In addition, certain medications and tobacco use can also contribute to receding gums.
Some of the most common causes include the following:
- Poor dental hygiene: Not brushing your teeth regularly and thoroughly can cause plaque buildup and lead to receding gums.
- Aggressive brushing: Using a toothbrush with hard bristles and brushing too vigorously can also cause gum recession.
- Tobacco use: Smoking or other forms of tobacco use can damage the gum tissue and cause it to recede.
- Clenching or grinding teeth: Frequent clenching or grinding of the teeth can put too much pressure on the gums and cause them to recede.
- Periodontal disease: Gum disease is one of the leading causes of gum recession. Tooth loss from gum disease can cause receding gums and gum infections.
- Misaligned teeth: Crooked teeth can put excessive pressure on the gums, which can then cause gum recession.
Treatments for Receding Gums
Dentists can treat receding gums in a number of ways. Treatment for gum recession depends on the underlying cause and usually involves a combination of procedures such as scaling and root planing to remove plaque buildup or tissue grafts to restore lost gum tissue. The first step is to determine the cause of the receding gums. Once our dentist determines the underlying cause of your receding gums, we can provide the most relevant treatment options.
One of the most common treatments for receding gums is a deep cleaning, or scaling and root planing. This is a procedure in which our dentist removes plaque and tartar from below the gum line, and conditions the gum pockets. This helps to reduce gum recession by removing the bacteria and toxins that cause it.
Another treatment option is gum grafting. Gum grafting is a procedure in which an oral surgeon takes a piece of healthy gum tissue from one area and grafts it onto the receded area of your gums. This helps to restore the original gum line and improve the appearance of your teeth.
No matter what treatment option you chose to fix your receding gums, it’s important to work closely with our dentist to ensure the best possible outcome. With the right treatment plan and diligence, we can help you address receding gums, and keep your mouth healthier for longer.
In most situations, Plano, TX dentist Dr. Sowell can replace the gum lost by doing a gum graft (a connective tissue graft) over the root. This restores the tooth to the appearance of the ideal tooth length. At Sowell Sensational Smiles,
Straumann® Emdogain® for Gum Recession
Dr. Sowell uses Straumann® Emdogain® for some patients with gum recession. Emdogain® is a bioactive material that promotes the predictable regeneration of hard and soft tissues lost due to periodontal disease. It stimulates osteogenic (bone) and fibroblastic (connective tissue) progenitor cells within the bone marrow. Traditionally, surgical procedures were the only available option for treating gum recession, but now Emdogain® has opened up a new, minimally invasive treatment option.
Emdogain® is a soft tissue regeneration treatment that Dr. Sowell uses to improve the health of receding gums. During the treatment, the doctor applies a protein that he extracts from the patients’ own saliva (Emdogain®) to the gums. This stimulates the growth of healthy gum tissue in areas that have experienced recession.
Emdogain® can help improve the appearance of receding gums, as well as stop further gum recession and tooth sensitivity. Furthermore, the procedure does not leave you with postoperative swelling, bleeding, or pain!
The best part about Emdogain® is that it’s a relatively quick, non-invasive treatment that we can perform in our dental office. The entire process takes less than an hour to complete and requires no cutting or sutures. Following the treatment, you may experience some minor pain or discomfort similar to an extraction but it will dissipate quickly.
Emdogain® offers a proven and reliable option for treating gum recession and restoring healthy gums. If you’re unsure whether Emdogain® is a suitable treatment for you, please consult with our dentist to discuss all of your available options.