Would you like to know how to stop receding gums from getting worse? If so, you are in the right place. In this article, we are going to discuss everything there is to know about caring for receding gums and prevent further gum recession.
Looking after your gums is a key part of maintaining and ensuring your oral health. Not only can receding gum lines and exposed roots make you look less attractive, gum recession can also cause you a great variety of health problems, including bad breath, loose teeth periodontal disease.
In some cases, if you or your dentist manage to catch your receding gums early on, you may be able to prevent your gum recession from getting any worse. In fact, you may even be able to reverse it and save yourself from having to undergo gum surgery.
If you want to discover exactly how to spot the early signs of gum recession so you can set in and prevent it from getting worse, then keep on reading.
What causes gum recession
To better understand how you can stop your gum line from receding, it helps to understand what causes gums to recede in the first place. Here is a shortlist of the top gum recession triggers.
Insufficient oral hygiene
In the majority of cases, gum recession occurs as a result of poor oral hygiene. Many truly underestimate how important daily dental care is, for their teeth, their gums, and their overall health and wellbeing.
Health conditions and medications
Other common causes of gum recession are medical conditions and medications.
These can include hormonal changes that may happen due to pregnancy, menopause or contraception, diabetes, Chron’s disease and Down’s syndrome, prolonged stress, genetic disposition, and age.
Or course, not all of these medical conditions are within your power to control – ageing being one obvious example. Still, it holds true that maintaining great oral hygiene and going to the dentist for regular checkups is the best way of preventing not only gum recession but also other oral health issues that your dentist is likely to spot much sooner than you are able to yourself.
Dental care issues
Your dental hygiene level is not the only thing about your teeth that can affect whether or not your gums recede. Crooked teeth are a common cause of receding gums, which is why it is so important to get crooked teeth straightened sooner rather than later. We recommend Invisalign aligners as a more convenient alternative to traditional metal braces.
It is also worth mentioning here that badly executed or ill maintained dental work can trigger gum recession. This includes damaged or faulty fillings, as well as bridges or dentures that no longer fit properly.
Bad habits
There is no shortage of seemingly minor habits that, when they stack up, can easily contribute to receding gums, including smoking, teeth grinding and overly forceful toothbrushing.
Injury
The trauma caused by an injury can trigger a receding gum line.
How to reverse receding gums naturally
So, how do you prevent your gums from receding further than they already have? And, is there are way to reverse some of the damage?
Keeping your teeth and gums clean
As already indicated, staying committed to excellent oral hygiene as well as seeing your dentist for regular checkups is your best defence against receding gums and the problems they bring with them.
Always brush your teeth diligently but gently for at leat two minutes twice a day using a fluoride toothpaste to remove plaque and bacteria buildup. Use a soft bristled toothbrush to prevent overly forceful brushing, and change your toothbrush head at least once a quarter.
Getting a mouthguard
Getting yourself a mouthguard can be a beneficial move as it can prevent you from gnashing and grinding your teeth in your sleep. As mentioned earlier, teeth grinding is often a contributing factor or a trigger for receding gums.
Supplements and mouthwash
There are a number of natural remedies you can try if you have spotted the early symptoms of receding gums. It is important that we point out, however, that none of these supplements are a substitute for seeing your dentist and listening to his or her advice.
In some cases, a lack of Vitamin B12 can be a contributing factor in receding gums, so upping your Vitamin B12 intake can prove crucial.
You can also try saltwater rinse or antimicrobial mouthwash, both of which may help cleanse and soothe your gums.
Receding gums treatment options
In severe cases of receding gums, using the right toothpaste and taking supplements is not going to be enough. Here are the top treatment options for receded gums.
Scaling and root planing
Scaling and root planing are usually the first course of treatment your dentist is going to suggest if you have a moderately to severely receded gum line.
Scaling and root planing is a procedure designed and intended to deep clean your mouth and gums in order to eliminate any plaque and tartar buildup that may be triggering or worsening your receding gums. Root planing specifically is a procedure that focuses completely on removing bacteria from the teeth roots.
Gum surgery
In some cases, gum graft surgery or gum pinhole surgery may be required. Of the two, gum graft surgery is by far the more invasive procedure.
A gum graft is exactly what it sounds like. It involves the dentist removing healthy gum tissue from an unaffected area in your mouth and grafting it onto the affected area.
By contrast, gum surgery using the pinhole technique is much simpler. It consists of the dentist making a small keyhole incision in the receded gum, inserting a small instrument into the incision hole and using this to carefully separate the gum and the tooth. Once this is done, the dentist repositions the gum over the exposed tooth roots.
Whether you wind up having pinhole surgery or a full gum graft, the procedure is sully carried out under local anaesthetic.
How to stop receding gums from getting worse FAQ
Can you stop gum recession from getting worse?
Yes, you can absolutely stop your receding gums from getting any worse. In fact, there are several actionable steps you can take to protect and keep your gum tissue healthy.
The most important thing you can do is to to always stay on top of your oral hygiene. This means brushing and flossing your teeth for at least two minutes twice a day, as well as seeing your dentist for regular check ups.
In some cases, aggressive brushing can cause the gum tissue to recede around the teeth, so make sure you always use a soft bristled toothbrush.
How do you stop receding gums from getting worse at home?
There are so many different home remedies you can try to prevent receding gums from getting worse. The top natural remedies that can strengthen and protect your gums include eucalyptus oil, peppermint essential oil, saltwater rinse, aloe vera, septillion and turmeric gel.
If you gums are only in the early stages of receding, natural remedies is a great place to start taking action, but they are still no replacement for seeing your dentist regularly for professional cleanings and other treatment options that can help prevent gum recession.
How do you stop receding gums from getting worse at home?
There are so many different home remedies you can try to prevent receding gums from getting worse. The top natural remedies that can strengthen and protect your gums include eucalyptus oil, peppermint essential oil, saltwater rinse, aloe vera, septillion and turmeric gel.
If you gums are only in the early stages of receding, natural remedies is a great place to start taking action, but they are still no replacement for seeing your dentist regularly for professional cleanings and other treatment options that can help prevent gum recession.
How do you fix badly receding gums?
It is always preferable to catch receding gums early so you can prevent them from worsening.
However, if your gums have already been left untreated for a while and have receded past a certain point, the dentist may have to employ more drastic measures than simply a professional deep cleaning to remove harmful bacteria. If your dentist deems that your case of receding gums is severe and could lead to gum disease, sensitive and exposed tooth roots and eventual tooth loss, he or she is likely to recommend gum surgery in the form of either a gum graft or pinhole surgical treatment.
Out of the two, the pinhole surgical treatment option is the least invasive. It involves the dentist making a tiny incision in the soft tissue right above the exposed teeth roots before inserting a small instrument into the incision hole and carefully separating the tooth from the gums. The dentist then carefully stretches and repositions the gum to cover the exposed tooth root.
A gum graft is a slightly more intense surgical treatment where healthy gum tissue is removed from one area of the mouth and grafted onto the area where it is needed.
Why is my gum recession getting worse?
Your receding gums might be getting worse for any number (and combination) of reasons.
The primary cause of gum recession is poor oral hygiene, so if you are not brushing and flossing your teeth as often and as thoroughly as you should be, now you already have part of the answer.
Other factors that can play into a receding gum line are smoking, teeth grinding and clenching, excessively forceful toothbrushing, ageing and injury.
Takeaway
Wanting to avoid receding gums and all of the problems that come with it is as good inclination to have, and one that you can take decisive action steps to implement.
Among the things you can do to avoid your receding gums getting worse is to stay on top of your oral hygiene, scheduling regular dental checkups, using mouthwashes and ensuring that you are getting the vitamins you need in your diet, as well as acquiring a mouthguard to prevent yourself from grinding your teeth at night.
In most cases where receding gums are spotted early on, it is absolutely possible to prevent them getting worse. With the proper care and guidance from your dentist, you may even be able to reverse receding gums without any surgical intervention.