How Can a Periodontist Treat Receding Gums?
When discussing oral health, not everything revolves around teeth themselves. Periodontics is a specialized field of dentistry that focuses on the supporting structures surrounding your teeth, particularly your gums and jawbone. One of the many issues that can affect your gums is gum recession. This is a condition in which your gums start to recede and more of the tooth’s surface and in some cases, the tooth’s root is exposed. This serious condition requires prompt attention from a dental professional since untreated gum recession can have significant negative consequences on your overall oral health.
What Causes Gum Recession in Adult Patients?
There are many reasons why your gums start to recede, with the main one being periodontal disease. This condition, also called gum disease, happens when plaque builds up under the gums. This makes the gums become swollen. It’s why people often bleed when brushing their teeth in the early stages. As the disease gets worse, your gums pull away from your teeth. This creates pockets under the gum line. Bacteria and debris collect in these pockets. This can lead to gum recession and ultimately tooth loss due to the destruction of the structures that support the tooth.
Gum recession is frequently observed in patients who brush their teeth with excessive force or use improper brushing techniques. This can also cause your enamel to wear away. Conversely, inadequate oral hygiene practices can lead to accumulated plaque and tartar deposits, which without regular professional dental cleanings performed by your Edmonton dentist, frequently develop into progressive gum disease. Genetic factors also play a significant role, as some individuals have inherited genetic predispositions that make them more susceptible to gum recession regardless of their oral hygiene practices.
What Are the Common Symptoms of Receding Gums in Patients?
Patients experiencing gum recession typically present with multiple symptoms including gum bleeding after toothbrushing, visibly red and inflamed gum tissue, persistent halitosis (bad breath), and increasingly visible tooth roots. Also, once the tooth’s root is exposed, it is common to experience tooth sensitivity.
How Are Receding Gums Treated by Dental Professionals?
Before undergoing professional gum therapy treatment services in Edmonton, your dentist will examine your gums and determine the severity of your case. Mild cases can be treated by regular dentists. However, when it comes to moderate and severe cases, you will need the help of a periodontist.
Treatment Options for Mild Cases of Gum Recession
In mild cases, dentists remove the plaque and tartar that have built up on the surface of your teeth below the gum line. This process is called scaling and root planing, or deep cleaning. After removing all of the plaque and tartar, your dentist will use special instruments to smooth the roots. This is performed to help your gums reattach to your teeth and prevent further buildup of bacteria and the formation of sockets. After this procedure, it is vital to follow your dentist’s recommendations and return for routine teeth cleanings to stop the progression of this disease.
Treatment Procedures for Moderate and Severe Gum Recession Cases
Sometimes, a deep cleaning isn’t enough to treat gum recession. In these cases, you should look for specialized gum therapy near you. A specialist can do surgery to treat receding gums. The most common surgery is called open flap scaling and root planing. During this procedure, your dentist will do a deep cleaning. But they will also lift up a small flap of your gum tissue to expose the tooth root. Once all of the plaque is removed, your dentist will fold the gum tissue back into place. This gives them the chance to remove or tighten up any pockets between the gums and the surface of the teeth. In more severe cases, periodontists can perform gum graft surgery, which helps cover up exposed tooth roots. As a result, the symptoms are reduced and the progression of the disease is stopped.
Key Takeaways about Gum Recession Treatment
- Periodontics focuses on supporting structures around teeth, particularly addressing conditions like gum recession where gums pull away and expose more of the tooth surface or root, requiring prompt professional attention to prevent serious oral health complications.
- Periodontal disease serves as the primary cause of gum recession, creating pockets under the gum line where bacteria collect, while aggressive brushing techniques can damage gums and genetic factors may increase susceptibility regardless of oral hygiene practices.
- Patients with receding gums typically experience bleeding after brushing, visibly red and inflamed gum tissue, persistent bad breath, increasingly visible tooth roots, and tooth sensitivity due to exposed roots.
- Gallery Dental examines patients’ gums to determine severity before recommending appropriate treatment, with mild cases handled by regular dentists while moderate to severe cases require specialized periodontal treatment services.
- Treatment for mild gum recession involves scaling and root planing procedures where dentists remove accumulated plaque and tartar below the gum line, then smooth the roots to help gums reattach to teeth and prevent further bacterial buildup.
- Moderate to severe gum recession may require surgical interventions such as open flap scaling and root planing, where dentists lift a small portion of gum tissue to thoroughly clean the tooth root before repositioning the tissue to eliminate pockets.
- In the most severe cases of gum recession, periodontists perform gum graft surgery to cover exposed roots, effectively reducing symptoms and halting disease progression.
- Following professional treatment for gum recession, patients must adhere to their dentist’s recommendations and maintain regular professional teeth cleaning appointments to prevent recurrence of the condition.
