Gum Recession

Gum recession can be an unsightly issue and exposed areas of the root can be sensitive to temperatures and different foods. There can be multiple causes so there can be multiple treatments.

Causes:

• Poor or incorrect oral hygiene
• Gum disease
• Clenching and/or grinding
• Genetics
• Abnormal tooth position
• Trauma
• Poor oral health
• Abfraction or chipping of the tooth structure along the gum line

Treatments:

• Correction of oral hygiene habits
• Increased hygiene dental visits
• Treatment of any gum disease
• Reduction of clenching/grinding either by bite guards, medication, and/or bite correction
• Repair or bonding of chipped tooth structure
• Gingival grafting to replace lost tissue

If the gingival recession is very active, left untreated can lead to significant bone or tooth loss.