Gum Recession – What You Need to Know

Gum recession is another term referring to receding gums. It can be scary for some about getting receding gums, but they can easily be remedied, knowing what causes them in the first place.

Below are some of the common causes of gum recession.

1. When you floss or brush too aggressively. There is no harm in being enthusiastic about oral hygiene, but you need to make sure that you are brushing your gums and teeth and not scrubbing them. You need to be gentle with your teeth by using a toothbrush labeled as “soft.” Keep in mind that when you take care of your teeth, it is not supposed to hurt at all.
2. It can also be that you inherited from one side of your family. The characteristics of your gums are defined by genetics, just like with your body.
3. Abnormal positioning of the tooth. If they are not aligned, receding gums are likely to happen.
4. Bruxism or grinding of your teeth. Have you ever experienced waking up with a headache? Does your partner or spouse complain to you that you sometimes grind your teeth? This is a habit that causes a lot of dental worries, not only with gum recession. Make sure you let your dentist know about this case right away as this can be treated easily by them using several dental options such as a mouth guard.

Here are also some facts associated with gum recession, which will also help you get a better understanding of it.

Even those with healthy oral habits get gum recession.

Everyone gets gum recession whether they have healthy oral health or not. Remember genetics? You can’t help avoid it if one of your parents have gum recession since there is a high possibility that you are going to get one as well. Some people also have thin and fragile gingival tissue. Others get it because of the irregular position of the tooth. Most people develop receding gums without doing anything that causes it.

Recession can increase the risk of getting tooth decay.

When the gums recede, the gaps are formed in between the gum line and the teeth. This will make it easier for bacteria carrying diseases to seep in and accumulate. Receding gums also exposes the root of the teeth’s softer surface, inviting bacteria to grow in there. The tooth’s root is very susceptible to tooth decay compared to the crown’s enamel.

There are a lot of causes of receding gums.

There are a lot of causes to receding gums, and a number of them are due to genetics. The common cause of this particular condition is the abnormal position of the tooth. There are instances wherein people get some teeth to protrude when it gets crowded whenever the permanent teeth are pushed out through the gums. Thus this leads to the insufficient coverage of the jaw bone to the tooth’s root and inviting a risk of gum recession. Heredity plays a huge factor in the mix as well.

If you have noticed that your gums are receding, have your gums checked in the nearest dental clinic near you.