If you are here, it is probably because you have noticed inflammation of your gums: gum recession. You may have been told it is a periodontal disease or you have just learned about it. You know your brushing technique does not guarantee good oral hygiene. Are you afraid of losing your teeth? Afraid of catching a secondary infection? You are considering buying a fast toothbrush to avoid missing certain areas during brushing. Don’t worry, we will clarify the subject for you.
In this article, we will explain what gum recession is. It will also help you understand its causes, risk factors, symptoms to identify it, and the necessary treatment offered by dentists.
What is Gum Recession?
Gum recession is an inflammation of the gums that has reached its peak. It then becomes either periodontitis: a bacterial disease that causes destruction of the bone supporting your teeth as well as the ligament and gums; or gingivitis: a mild inflammation of the gums. The gums become particularly irritated and swollen. They bleed during brushing. Indeed, our mouth contains a large number of bacteria that must never disrupt gum health. However, sometimes pathogenic bacteria affect the gums. They cause inflammation which most of the time leads to gum recession.
Moreover, gum recession is a common dental problem. However, it is important to diagnose it as early as possible because it can lead to much more serious oral diseases.
The Main Causes of Gum Recession
1) Poor Teeth Alignment
If they are misaligned, they can exert strong pressure on adjacent teeth and your jaw. The effect is that they can become damaged, which weakens your gums. This leads to poor attachment of the tooth to the jaw. The consequence is that the tooth root will become visible. Furthermore, if you have crooked teeth, they are difficult to brush, which causes plaque buildup and periodontal diseases.
2) Teeth Grinding: Bruxism
When we talk about bruxism, we refer to grinding, clenching, or clicking of the teeth.
Here are the two types of grinding that exist:
- Excentric bruxism: These are nighttime grinding movements. They are characterized by small lateral jaw movements. They usually result in muscle pain and migraines upon waking.
-Centered bruxism: This involves clenching the teeth. It happens instinctively during the day. It can also be a bad habit you have developed or stress-related.
3) Poor brushing technique
You may not be familiar with brushing techniques that ensure good oral health. If you brush your teeth too quickly, you risk enamel erosion. This also causes irritation of the gum tissues.
Here are the aspects of brushing related to poor brushing technique.
- Taking less than two minutes to brush your teeth
- Choosing a manual toothbrush instead of an electric one
- Not brushing the upper teeth, lower teeth, and lower jaw teeth
- Neglecting to use interdental brushes at least once a day
4) Regular chewing of gum
Contrary to popular belief, chewing gum does not replace regular brushing. Indeed, regular and vigorous chewing of gum causes prolonged stress on the jaws. If not addressed promptly, it can lead to temporomandibular joint disorder. This condition is characterized by significant facial pain and neck discomfort. Excessive gum chewing also contributes to tooth wear.
5) Using a hard-bristled toothbrush
Hard-bristled toothbrushes damage the gums. Indeed, they cause abrasions. This is mechanical wear of the tooth caused by dental tools that are unsuitable and too aggressive for the teeth and gums. Additionally, they also cause cracks: they leave marks on the oral cavity and gum recession: changes to the gum at the neck of the tooth. It is therefore important to choose a soft or electric toothbrush to find a good balance between effectiveness against dental plaque and trauma to the gums. It also slides better between interdental spaces.
The main advantages of choosing an electric toothbrush:
- It does not damage enamel
- It does not irritate your gums
- It offers several brushing modes for personalized use
- It works very well with dentures or dental appliances
6) Excessive chewing tobacco consumption
Numerous studies have shown that 50% of gum diseases are caused by smoking. Indeed, consuming too much tobacco is harmful. It leads to damage to all the supporting tissues of the tooth, also called the periodontium. It can also be said that its main effect is to increase dental plaque and reduce oxygen levels in the blood. Furthermore, gums become infected much more quickly in smokers. The most common consequence of gum disease is not only tooth loosening but also tooth loss.
Poor tooth brushing can also cause tooth loosening. It is therefore important to have a good toothbrush that takes care of your teeth. The Y-Brush toothbrush has the advantage of being a sonic technology toothbrush. It is therefore much less aggressive than oscillating-rotating toothbrushes.
The main risk factors for tooth loosening
Stress
Numerous studies address the impact of stress on periodontal diseases: gingivitis and periodontitis. For example, the study by MILLER et al. in 1997 shows that more periodontal pockets form in stressed individuals than in those who are not stressed. Indeed, as you understand, periodontitis and gingivitis are infectious diseases linked to the presence of bacteria in your mouth. They cause these types of diseases when they become too aggressive. However, a deficiency in your immune defenses can also cause gingivitis or periodontitis. Stress therefore primarily functions to disrupt your oral health.
Here are the situations in which stress causes periodontal infection:
- If you are prone to stress, you will tend to take less care of your oral hygiene: formation of dental plaque.
- If you are too stressed, the cells of your immune system weaken much faster: less immune defense.
- If you are in a stressful situation, your immune system will defend itself less against bacterial attacks: onset or progression of periodontal diseases.
Tobacco
Smoking is harmful to health but it is also particularly dangerous for your oral health. Tobacco consumption weakens the gums and the periodontium. This often promotes oral infections and tooth loosening. However, it is important to know that the risk of developing periodontal disease is much higher if the amount of tobacco consumed is significant. Furthermore, tobacco is one of the main risk factors for periodontitis or gingivitis. It is responsible for one-third of periodontitis cases. Indeed, nicotine and tobacco smoke form a deposit that causes an accumulation of dental tartar. It also promotes the development of certain bacteria. Additionally, a product called cotinine forms in the liver. It results from the breakdown of nicotine. Its main effect is to increase the toxic effect of bacteria.
Here are the situations in which tobacco causes periodontal infection:
- If you are a heavy tobacco user, you will notice bacterial plaque forming in your mouth: onset of periodontal diseases.
- If you smoke heavily, tobacco use will more easily alter the physiology of your oral system: proliferation of bacteria inside your mouth.
- If you continue to smoke regularly, tobacco will increase the yellowish color on your teeth: enamel damage will worsen.
Diabetes
It is important to know that one in two diabetic patients has periodontal disease. Indeed, this chronic disease tends to promote the thickening of blood vessels. The main consequence is to slow down the flow of nutrients and blood. As a snowball effect, the bones supporting the teeth and gums weaken. This makes them much more susceptible to oral infections. Furthermore, diabetes also causes an increase in the glucose level in saliva. Since harmful bacteria feed on these sugars, diabetics are more likely to develop dental plaque, tartar, gum inflammation, or even periodontitis.
Here are the situations in which diabetes leads to periodontal infection:
- If you are diabetic, a too high increase in blood sugar in your body will worsen a minor mouth infection: appearance of periodontal bacteria.
- If you suffer from diabetes, you will be more affected by thickening of the blood vessels because it makes them much thicker. The exchange of nutrients produced and waste elimination therefore becomes much more difficult: weakening of the gingival tissues.
- If you are diagnosed with diabetes, you must take special care of your teeth. If you do not, excess sugar between the teeth will accumulate under the gums.
Pregnancy
You do not have a mandatory dental check-up during pregnancy. However, it causes hormonal and immunological changes that affect oral hygiene. It is therefore important to know that poor oral health has serious repercussions on your overall health: risk of premature birth or fetal growth restriction: the fetus does not reach the regulatory size at birth. Furthermore, pregnancy also causes oral acidification. This mainly leads to enamel erosion. This erosion increases the risk of cavities as well as oral diseases.
Here are the situations in which pregnancy leads to periodontal infection:
- If you are pregnant, hormonal changes can make your gums sensitive to bacteria.
- If you are in early pregnancy, it is important to clean your teeth well: hormonal changes reduce your ability to resist bacteria lodged in dental plaque.
- During pregnancy, an unhealthy lifestyle and an unbalanced diet cause pregnancy gingivitis.
Potential symptoms of gum recession
To be as clear as possible, the most visible symptom of gum recession is a tooth that appears much longer because its root becomes visible. To guide you further, it is important to know that you should consult a dentist if you have the following symptoms:
Here are the symptoms that should prompt you to see your dentist:
- Increased sensitivity to temperature changes compared to usual
- A sensation that your tooth is lengthening.
- Continuous bleeding of your gums before, during, and after brushing
- The root of your teeth becomes increasingly visible
- Excessive gaps between your teeth
The necessary treatment to stop gum recession
During your visit to the dentist, they will offer you two types of treatments to address gum recession. You can choose either a natural home treatment or a laser treatment.
Natural home treatment
Here are various home treatments you can use in case of gum recession:
- Coenzyme Q10 : it boosts the energy metabolism of the gums to activate the body's repair capabilities.
- Baking soda : it helps reduce dental inflammation that causes gum recession.
- Green tea : it helps fight the formation of dental plaque.
- Aloe vera gel : it has anti-inflammatory effects and promotes good healing of toothaches and mouth issues in general.
- Avocado oil : it has anti-inflammatory properties that will relieve your pain.
- Grapefruit seed extract : it can be used as a mouthwash. It has many uses as a mouthwash, including anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antiparasitic properties.
Laser treatment
For effective infection treatment, laser therapy can be used. This promotes optimal healing to reattach gum tissues to the teeth. Results are visible one week after the procedure, and no pain or side effects are reported after the intervention.
Effective dental treatment only works when accompanied by the use of a suitable toothpaste. Y-Brush toothpaste has the advantage of being 100% natural, paraben-free, and made in France. It therefore does not irritate your sensitive gums.
Perfect dental hygiene to prevent gum recession
Proper tooth brushing is necessary for your oral health and especially for your gums. It is therefore essential to brush your teeth at least twice a day. The key to perfect dental hygiene is applying an effective technique. It also means brushing your teeth at the right frequency. It is also important to have a professional dental cleaning at least twice a year. This will help you maintain healthy teeth and gums.
Here are two guidelines to consider for perfect dental hygiene:
- brush your teeth after every meal: this helps eliminate as much dental plaque as possible that reforms after eating.
- use a brushing technique that rotates from the gum towards the tooth: this helps keep both the upper and lower jaws perfectly clean.
The Y-Brush toothbrush allows you to have perfect dental hygiene as it brushes all the teeth and their surfaces at the same time, ensuring no corner of your mouth is missed.
We hope that all the advice in this article has helped you better understand what gum recession is. We also hope you have understood its causes, risk factors, visible symptoms, and the necessary treatment to apply. If you follow all our recommendations, you will no longer have oral health problems.
