The Problem With Receding Gums
Your gums serve important roles in your mouth, and that is why you should talk to your dentist if you have a problem with receding gums. Living with receding gums can lead to a lot of problems, and here are several things to understand about this subject.
What are receding gums?
Gums are found in your mouth on both the upper and lower arches, and they are there to hold your teeth in place and protect the roots of the teeth. When gums are receding, it means that they are pulling away from the teeth and creating a gap between themselves and the teeth. As this happens, the gums actually begin wearing away. Therefore, receding gums are gums that are not fully there, which means that your gums cannot fully do their job.
Why do gums recede?
Gums recede when they are not healthy, and they often recede due to plaque. Plaque is something that is not good for your teeth or gums, yet it is always present on your teeth. Brushing your teeth daily helps you get rid of it, but when you do not brush often enough or good enough, the plaque may get into your gums, causing your gums to wear away. Gums can also recede from flossing with too much force. When your gums begin to recede, dentists often call this condition gum disease.
What problems occur from receding gums?
If you have receding gums and do nothing about it, you could open up the risk for many problems. The first problem is that if your gums recede too much, it could cause you to lose teeth in your mouth. Another problem you can develop from receding gums is sensitivity with your teeth. Without enough gums around your teeth, your teeth will also be more vulnerable to infections and other types of problems.
How can you treat receding gums?
There are several ways to treat receding gums, but the method your dentist recommends will depend on how severe the problem is right now. In some cases, a deep cleaning of your gum lines will be enough to stop the damage and help regenerate the gums. In other cases, though, people will need gum grafts to fix the problem.
If you are concerned with your gum health, talk to a dentist. A dentist can measure your gumlines to see if they are receding and can offer ways to stop this from progressing and to repair your gums.
For more information about restorative dentistry, contact a dental clinic like Pacific Ave Dental/Allan L. Hablutzel, DDS.