Why are gums receding from my teeth?

There can be several reasons for this, and some of them may have to do with lifestyle. For example, it is important to brush your teeth at least twice a day and floss once a day. However, if you use a hard toothbrush or brush too aggressively, you can actually irritate your gums and cause them to recede. This is why we recommend that you use a soft or electronic toothbrush whenever possible. You want to make sure you are gentle when brushing near your gums, regardless of what you are using.

Your gums can also recede due to gum disease. This is actually the most common reason for the condition. At Lori M. Nasif D.M.D., we find that gum disease can impact patients of all ages, and when it does, it is critical that you come in for a dental cleaning and treatment. Otherwise, you can begin to see the gums recede or pull away from the teeth. The cause is plaque that becomes trapped between the teeth and gums. Since you cannot clean this area, it remains in place, turns into tartar, and irritates your gums. The irritation will get to the point that the gums swell, bleed, become irritated, and eventually recede.

If your teeth are crooked and your bite is out of alignment, additional strain could be placed on some of your teeth. As a result of abnormal wear patterns, your gums could begin to suffer and eventually recede.

If your gums are only receding on one side, it could be simply because plaque just happens to have built up in this area of the mouth. Plaque does not discriminate, but there is a chance that you could have brushed or flossed better on one side of your mouth, or it could be a simple fluke that plaque became trapped in one area but not the other. Another plausible solution is that this mirrors general wear patterns. If your teeth are crooked and your bite is off, your gum health will also be impacted disproportionally.

While this could be related to the other causes listed above, it is most likely to do some type of dental trauma. Perhaps this particular area of the mouth was cut or suffered a severe abrasion. Whether the injury was caused by eating something sharp, your nail scratched it, or an outside force cut you, gums can sometimes have difficultly healing and may recede as a result of that injury.

Yes, you should. At Lori M. Nasif D.M.D., we encourage all our patients to pay attention to their gum health. We encourage them to call us right away if they see their gums bleeding, swelling or receding. We want to examine the patient as soon as possible in order to determine if gum disease is present and treat it. You are best served by receiving immediate care since we can treat the problem using less invasive methods. For example, you may only need a deep cleaning if you come in right away or perhaps you will need an antibiotic treatment as well, but by coming in early, you give your gums the best chance for restoration without the need for a gum graft. Otherwise, if you delay, they could recede to the point that the health of your teeth, your jawbone, and your entire smile are at risk. After all, the majority of people who lose an adult tooth also had gum disease at the time. Preventing and treating it is truly one of the best things you can do for your oral health.

Definition of Endodontic Terminology