Gum recession is the loss of gingival tissue that secondarily causes the teeth to appear longer. In more advanced cases, the roots of the tooth may become visible.
Although it may seem a purely aesthetic problem, this pathology can have serious consequences for our oral health, in addition to a greater facility to suffer infections in the oral cavity, and even the loss of teeth.
What are the causes?
- Periodontal diseases
This is the most common cause of receding gums. These diseases occur in the tissues around the teeth, through oral bacteria that generate an infection that can cause the loss of several teeth.
The most common cause of periodontal disease is poor oral hygiene. In this sense, it is essential to visit your dentist periodically for periodontal check-ups to detect and stop the infection in time. It is also highly recommended to have your teeth cleaned at least once a year to remove dental bacteria present in tartar.
Periodontal disease begins with gingivitis, which if not detected and treated in time can evolve into periodontitis, which also involves the gradual loss of bone in the jaws.
- Dental trauma
Another possible cause of gingival retraction can be physical trauma to the dental piece caused by blows, falls, etc. It is strongly recommended that a visit to the dentist be made as urgently as possible should this occur, in order to maximize the chances of saving the tooth.
- Aggressive tooth brushing
Careless brushing may also recede the gums. This can be avoided by using a soft bristled toothbrush and brushing the teeth 2-3 times a day without exerting too much pressure. Additionally, it is necessary to complement brushing with other dental hygiene tools such as interproximal brushes, dental floss, etc.
- Orthodontic treatments
Occasionally, the use of dental appliances or orthodontic treatments may affect gum recession. For this reason, it is very important to respect the check-ups prescribed by the orthodontist.
- Age-related factors
It is very common to find gingival recession as the individual approaches a mature stage of life due to natural causes and, mainly, due to the accumulation of the aforementioned factors over time.
Treatment for gingival recession
When this pathology is detected in the initial evaluation, a complete periodontal revision will be performed to determine the causes that have provoked it.
If among the causes of these recessions is periodontitis, we will proceed first to heal the tissues by treating and controlling the disease, sometimes involving, and only in a complementary manner, the use of certain antibiotics prescribed by the dentist.
Once the activity of this pathology has been stopped, we will proceed to treat the sequelae of the gingival tissue recovering as far as possible the gum lost in these retractions through gum graft surgeries.
In these surgeries the graft is taken in most cases from the palate area of the patient, being the recovery fast and improving aesthetics and oral health with the results.
ClĂnica Dental Ruiz de Gopegui: specialists in periodontics
Patients suffering from gingival recession should go to a specialized center such as ClĂnica Dental Ruiz de Gopegui, where you will have the first visit free of charge and then you can opt for an interest-free financing plan.
However, from ClĂnica Dental Ruiz de Gopegui we want to tell you the reasons why the gums tend to recede and what we can do to prevent this from happening.
In this sense, our periodontics service will allow you to strengthen the health of your teeth and gums, because in our dental clinic we have first class professionals and the most advanced technology to offer you the highest quality results.
We are experts in conservative dentistry treatments and our main objective is to prevent oral diseases. For this, however, regular visits to your dentist are essential, which will allow you to wear a flawless smile.