Do I have Receding Gums?
April 25, 2012Receding gums are not as big a problem as gum disease or cavities but they can be a sign of major problems to come. When your gums recede they slowly move down the root. The tooth starts to become exposed and become sensitive to cold or touch. The reason for this is that the tiny tubules which (microscopic tubes within dentin that spreads outward from the tooth’s center and carries dentinal fluid) in the teeth transmit these signals to the brain as pain. Sensitivity from receding gums can be so severe that they are impossible to ignore.
Why do we get receding gums?
There are two particular reasons why you might have receding gums. The first is trauma or injury. Essentially, these are external, mechanical causes. The second category is Infection which is internal.
Trauma:
1) Brushing too hard-not as much of a problem since toothbrushes are much softer.
2) grinding your teeth-this places undue amount of stress on your teeth, and it will force the gums to pull away.
3) fragile or thin gums-very important to brush lightly and use a very soft toothbrush.
4) frenum pull (muscle that is connected from the lift to the gum tissue). Every time the lip moves it tugs on the surrounding gum tissue. This can be corrected with small laser gum procedure.
5) Braces-
6) tongue piercing-repeated trauma with this device to not only chipped teeth that can traumatize gum tissue and cause it to recede.
7) chewing tobacco
8) bulimia
9) acid reflux
Infection:
1) gum disease
2) severely weakened immune system
So what can you do if you have gum recession?
Gum recession is not an isolated problem. It’s perhaps a sign of other things going wrong in the body. Gum infection could be a sign of improperly functioning immune system. Poor nutrition and eating heavily processed foods can weaken the immune system. There are dental solutions that can help correct gum recession. However, dentistry is not always the answer or the solution. We really need to look within and see what we are doing daily to take care of our bodies. Your mouth is a true indicator of how healthy the rest of your body is. Even the mildest forms of gum disease are a sign of weakened immune system.