You’re Telling Me My Gums Won’t Grow Back? How Did I Do That? Recession Explained
What is gum recession?
In the perfect situation, your gum tissue falls naturally right along the spot where the crown part of your tooth meets the root of your tooth.
This is the place where the enamel stops, and the “cementum” material root structure begins. It is therefore called the cemento-enamel junction or CEJ.
When recession occurs, the gum tissue moves away from this natural CEJ line and exposes the root structure underneath.
It often starts as a triangle-looking “cleft” shape instead of having that natural curve along the CEJ line. It will eventually open up to full recession, exposing more of the root, as the picture above shows.
With your root surface now exposed, your teeth are more prone to getting cavities in that area because the root surface is much softer than the hard enamel on the crown of your tooth.
The root structure is a MUCH easier material for the live bacteria to eat through, so cavities are more likely to occur once recession happens.
Your teeth are also more apt to become sensitive because of gum recession.
The root surface contains hundreds of little tubules that reach the inside of your tooth, where your nerve is. Once your root becomes exposed, drinking cold things, simply brushing, scratching the side of your tooth with your fingernail, will now reach the nerve more easily. Sensitivity becomes more common.
So what causes this recession?
There are sooo many factors that can cause gum recession. We’ll list them one by one for you here:
1. You are brushing too hard, too long, too vigorously, incorrectly, or with a medium or hard toothbrush.
If you are doing any of these things, you are basically brushing your gums away. Once the gums are gone, there will be more than just recession coming next.
If you brush incorrectly for too long it causing the gum line to move further and further back from its natural position. You will eventually affect your BONE level underneath those gums.
Your body won’t naturally expose the bone that is underneath there. So, as the gums get brushed away too far, the bone will also go away! The bone will follow the gums.
This bone is what holds your teeth in your head. You want to keep it around! This is a VERY serious situation to be mindful of. The picture below shows recession AND Bone loss. The gum and bone are supposed to be right up under the crown. Remember, right along the CEJ line.
Erosion can also occur after recession...
Another situation that happens if you brush too vigorously for too long, or if you brush with a toothbrush that is too hard, is something called EROSION.
While recession is the gum tissue being brushed away, erosion is your TOOTH STRUCTURE itself being brushed away!
Picture the sides of a riverbank being eroded by the water flowing through. Your soft root surface is the sandy riverbank, and your toothbrush is the water rushing through.
Your root will start to look like the eroded riverbank, dipping in where you have brushed too hard or improperly. Notice the two examples below.
This DOESN’T mean that you need to get scared and not brush your teeth ENOUGH, though.
It simply means that you need to learn to brush correctly, thoroughly, and with the right type of brush. You have to find the happy medium, and SODA will get you there. We’ve spilled lots on these very topics. Just head on over to our All Advice section to find it.
It’s important to understand that neither your gums nor your bone or tooth structure will grow back. Once recession and erosion occur, it’s a done deal. We only get one set of teeth. Be true to those teeth, and they’ll never be false to you.
Your dentist can try to fill in the erosion areas with a tooth-colored filling, but that’s just adding more dentistry to your mouth.
A periodontist or oral surgeon can try a gum graft for your recession, but they usually don’t work well on the molars in the back.
So the name of the game is, just be good to your teeth. Read all of the SODA that you can, and practice that perfection from there.
2. Electric toothbrushes can help prevent recession, BUT
... at the same time, they can also cause MORE recession if you use the electric toothbrush the wrong way.
You don’t want to brush and scrub with electric toothbrushes while they are doing their thing too. You just want to guide them around your mouth, using a pattern, and let them do their magic.
Electric toothbrushes create MIRACLES in mouthes. You can’t go wrong with them when you use them correctly. You just have to be careful not to be too vigorous with them.
Many Periodontists don’t recommend electric toothbrushes for patients who have had gum tissue grafting. So double check with your periodontist if you’ve had that treatment.
Also, be sure to read the SODA that we’ve spilled for you on the correct way to use electric toothbrushes.
3. You don’t brush and floss ENOUGH.
If you don’t brush enough, this is what happens: The puffy, bleeding inflammation, that gum tissue develops when bacteria are not properly removed, will actually PULL the gum attachment AWAY from your tooth.
Your gums can be DETACHED from your tooth when chronic inflammation is allowed to remain for extended periods.
So, it is EXTREMELY important to floss and brush correctly and regularly. Then use a little anti-gingivitis mouthwash, too, so that your gums remain healthy and strong.
Our Product Advice section tells you all about our SODA favorite brands of mouthwash…the ones that actually WORK! We’ve narrowed down the choices for you, so it’s not overwhelming.
Get your teeth cleaned on a regular basis to remove any tartar that builds up from whatever plaque you miss. You’ll never be perfect at removing it all.
If you don’t keep up on these 4 things, the gum infection will remain and will eventually travel into your bone underneath.
You have ONE shot at this. You have ONE set of teeth for your entire life. You NEED to treat them kindly. It’s not hard at all.
You just need the knowledge, and SODA has all that knowledge right here for you. Just keep cruising around our website to learn more.
4. Sometimes sudden trauma can cause recession
Sudden trauma, such as jamming a tortilla chip into your gums, or a fall that hits your gum tissue, can also cause recession.
If this happens, warm salt water rinses promote healing and are soothing to the area. Keep the area clean, as best you can, with gentle brushing. Go see your honest dentist and have them check it for you.
It may also be helpful to do the “roll” brushing technique here as well. Touch your gums with your toothbrush, and then gently ROLL the brush away from the gums.
So, on the bottom teeth, you would touch your gums and then roll your brush UPWARD. On the top teeth, you would touch your gums and then roll your brush DOWNWARD.
It’s as if you’re guiding the gums back to the location where they are supposed to be. Sadly, this won’t really bring the gums back if the attachment has been lost. It will still help prevent further recession, though.
Be sure to go see your honest dentist if you feel the trauma is severe or have any worry.
5. You may have a strong frenum pulling on your gum tissue.
A frenum, also called a frenulum, is a thin ligament that holds your lip to your gums. We have them all throughout our mouths, even under our tongue. When someone is “tongue-tied” or babies have a “tied lip,” these frenums are to blame.
Sometimes these frenums are extra short or extra strong, and they pull a little too much on our gum tissue.
The excessive pulling can cause recession to happen to the tooth that is nearest to where the frenum is attached. It usually starts in the triangle, clefting shape too.
This is where the opinion of your honest dentist is important. Frenectomies can be done to relieve the tension on the gums, free the lips, and free the tongue if need be.
6. Sometimes a little recession just comes with “maturity” and genetics.
Sometimes we’re just getting a little older, and we’ve had a little more time in life to brush our gums away.
Sometimes our genetics just make us more prone to getting a little recession.
We see some people brush extremely hard and NOT create recession, while others try their best and still get it. It is what it is sometimes. All we can do is try our best not to make it worse.
Just do everything you can to brush and floss correctly. Keep your gums healthy, and see your honest dentist regularly for your cleanings. They can keep an eye on everything closely for you.
Can recession grow back or be fixed?
Many people have recession. It doesn’t mean that your teeth are all going to fall out. Your honest dentist will have to diagnose you in person to decide what’s best.
The gum tissue will NOT grow back on its own, though. Once it’s gone, it’s gone.
The bone that is lost does not grow back either.
There are gum tissue grafts that can be done to help. It’s a common procedure, usually done by a Periodontist, where a bit of tissue is taken from the roof of your mouth and placed where the recession has occurred.
The gum grafting procedure doesn’t usually work as well on posterior teeth as it does in the mid to anterior teeth. So, be sure to talk to your honest dentist and periodontist to see if this treatment would be right for you. They also have some other grafting methods available that they may suggest.
On a FEW occasions, we have seen BEGINNING stages of recession be reversed a bit. This beginning stage presents itself as a “rolled look” to the gum tissue.
Instead of being completely brushed away, it looks as if the gums have been “smooshed” back. It looks like a blob of tissue is sitting right at the gum line, just waiting to be put back into place.
Again, the “roll” brushing technique is what can help this situation by guiding the tissue back into place. It’s always worth a try. It can’t hurt.
Quick Version Rundown on the correct way to brush:
In a nutshell, you should be brushing with a SOFT or EXTRA SOFT toothbrush only.
Brush in gentle CIRCLES, for 2 min, using a pattern, so that you brush every side of every tooth equally and thoroughly...but gently. It’s better to brush longer, than it is to brush harder.
If your recession is more severe, the “roll” brushing technique may be best for you. With the roll technique, you touch your gums with your toothbrush and then roll the brush away from the gums.
So, on the bottom teeth, you would touch your gums and then roll your brush UPWARD. On the top teeth, you would touch your gums and then roll your brush DOWNWARD.
What can help with the sensitivity that comes with recession?
Fluoride mouthwash helps dental sensitivity by filling in the tubules that have been exposed on the root surfaces.
This daily fluoride mouthwash also helps prevent cavities, by strengthening both the enamel and the dentin root structure. So, we believe that using fluoride mouthwash is more of a win-win than using sensitive toothpaste.
ACT fluoride mouthwash is our SODA favorite. You can find the perfect bottle in our Product Advice section.
We understand the concern that some people may have with using fluoride, though.
We are definite advocates for limiting fluoride CONSUMPTION but have seen major dental benefits at the same time when applied TOPICALLY to the teeth.
So, in some cases, we believe that the benefits outweigh the risks of giving it a try?
Sensitive toothpaste can be helpful too, but be sure to choose the most simple versions that you can. The more “stuff” they add to toothpaste, the more abrasive they get and the worse they are for your teeth.
So, try just a BASIC sensitive toothpaste, with no “whitening” or “tartar control” marketing tactics on the label. Please also read the caution label on the packages. Some of these toothpastes are not recommended for long term use.
For this reason, in the end, we typically recommend the fluoride mouthwash to our patients over the use of sensitive toothpaste to help reduce sensitivity.
Your body also puts its own natural protective layer over the exposed root structure, helping to reduce sensitivity as well.
So, the sensitivity CAN sometimes subside on its own, without any special fluoride or sensitive toothpaste. You just have to give it some time and be sure that you don’t continue brushing too hard.
Also, be sure that you’re not using a medium or hard toothbrush. If so, you’ll brush that protective layer right off again. It can’t ever fix itself if it keeps getting brushed away.
We hope this info helps!
Though it would be best if we did, we’ll never claim to know it all, all of the time. NO ONE knows it all! We do claim honesty, though, and we sincerely want to help as many people as we can! Our patients have maintained beautifully, following our conservative recommendations :)
So, thanks so much for reading and letting us spill our SODA! Remember to take the time to find your HONEST DENTIST, and be sure to browse around our links and follow us on social media for answers to more of your exciting dental questions, like:
