YOU can have a healthy mouth and practise good oral hygiene, and still experience a condition called gingival recession.

It can be scary and painful to have receding gums, but you don’t need to worry. Healthy gingival tissue forms a protective collar around a tooth. When gingival tissue recedes, exposing the tooth’s root, sensitivity may result.

Tooth root decay may develop because the softer root surface decays more readily than the enamel on the tooth’s crown.

There are two types of gingiva in the mouth: attached gingiva — the thick, pink tissue that hugs the teeth and is attached firmly to the underlying bone and the mucosa; or unattached gingiva — the soft, thin, moveable tissue that makes up the inside of the lips and cheeks.

CAUSES OF GINGIVAL RECESSION

Gingival recession occurs when the edge of the gingival tissue, which is called the gingival margin, moves away from the crown of the tooth.

One of the main causes of gingival recession is an irregular or abnormal tooth position. A tooth may protrude because it was crowded when permanent teeth began to push through the gum. As a result, inadequate bone covers the tooth’s root. The condition sometimes is noticeable by age 10 years.

Heredity is another factor. A person simply may have thin, fragile or insufficient gingival tissue.

Other causes of recession include aggressive or excessive tooth brushing, trauma to gingival tissues and periodontal disease.

TREATMENT

When minor recession is ignored, continued recession and bone loss around teeth are likely. Treatment methods vary according to the type and severity of recession.

If it is due to excessive or aggressive brushing, your dentist or hygienist can show you more effective oral hygiene methods.

Soft tissue graft surgery, called gingival or gum grafts, and other procedures help create more attached gingiva to prevent gingival recession from progressing and to help regenerate and re-establish root coverage.

If recession is due to periodontal disease, the first step usually involves a special cleaning, called scaling and root planning. For many patients, this treatment along with excellent oral hygiene at home and regular dental check-ups can help stop periodontal disease and prevent further gingival loss.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF GINGIVAL RECESSION

Gum recession is generally not an acute condition. In most cases, receding of gums is a progressive condition that occurs gradually over the years. These signs and symptoms may indicate gum recession:

• Tooth mobility;

• Teeth may also appear longer than normal (a larger part of the crown is visible if gums are receding);

• The roots of the tooth are exposed and visible;

• The tooth feels notched at the gum line;

• Change in the tooth’s colour (due to the colour difference between enamel and cementum);

• Spaces between teeth seem to increase.

If the gum recession is caused by gingivitis the following symptoms may also be present:

• Puffy, red, or swollen (inflamed) gums;

• Gum bleeding while brushing or flossing;

• Bad breath (halitosis).

Dr Sharon Robinson DDS has offices at the Dental Place Cosmetix Spa located at Shop #5, Winchester Business Centre, 15 Hope Road, Kingston 10. Dr Robinson is an adjunct lecturer at the University of Technology, Jamaica, School of Oral Health Sciences. She may be contacted at 630-4710. Like their Facebook page, Dental Place Cosmetix Spa, for an opportunity to take advantage of weekly specials.