As you get older, you may eventually have a problem with receding gums that should be treated. It not only causes your gums to look bad, but it can cause discomfort as well. Do not confuse receding gums with gum pockets, which is when there is loose gum material. Receding gums is you've actually lost gum tissue. Here is what you need to know about this dental health problem.

The Cause Of Receding Gums 

You can have a problem with receding gums for a variety of reasons. It happens as you get older, but there are other contributing factors. You may be dealing with gum disease, brush your teeth with excessive force, have crooked teeth, chew on things that are not food, or even just naturally be more prone to getting it due to your genes.

You'll most likely notice the problem with receding gums due to the teeth being much more sensitive than before. The teeth can also appear to be longer due to the loss of gum tissue. In extreme situations, it can cause tooth loss and root cavities.

The Treatment For Receding Gums

Your dentist will want to treat receding gums by getting them to a better oral health state. It will involve changing all your bad habits, which include learning proper brushing, brushing twice a day, and visiting your dentist for regular cleanings. Your dentist will also perform a root scaling procedure to improve the health of your gums as much as possible.

In some situations, you may need a gingival graft. This is a procedure where the dentist will attempt to replace the gum tissue that's missing with other tissue. While there are multiple ways to do the procedure, it's typically done by removing skin from another place within your mouth and inserting it where tissue is missing. In some situations, you can even use donor tissue, though it requires quite a bit of time to heal.

The best thing you can do to prevent this condition from happening to you is to be sure to take great care of your oral health when you are young. Brush and floss twice a day, eat foods that are healthy for you and get semi-annual dental cleanings. While it won't cure a problem with receding gums, it will help prevent a problem from becoming worse and require a corrective procedure.

Reach out to your dentist for more information about gum recession.