If you’re dealing with receding gums or know someone currently living with it, then this article is for you! Understanding the root causes and identifying the signs are critical for timely intervention to fix gum recession. For your affordable periodontist services in Sugar Land, TX, contact Fort Bend Periodontics & Implantology today!
What is Gum Recession?
Gum recession is a fairly common dental issue in adults marked by an overexposure of the enamel (the outer surface) of the teeth due to a receding gum line. According to a study, More than 50% of the US population has one or more areas with gum recession of 1 mm or more and it affects both people with good and poor dental hygiene. When gums recede, the gap that forms allows disease-causing bacteria to accumulate, resulting in infection or damage to surrounding dental tissues, tooth decay, and tooth loss.
Gum Recession: What are the Causes and Symptoms
There are several underlying causes of gum recession, but the most common is gum disease due to poor or inadequate oral hygiene. Other causes are aggressive brushing, tooth eruption (teething in children), and genetics. When the roots of the teeth are exposed due to gum recession, it not only causes pain, sensitivity, and a higher risk for infection, but it also makes teeth appear longer.
How is Gum Recession Treated?
Receding gums can be fixed by a qualified dental professional, such as a periodontist or dentist. The most common treatment methods include scaling and root planing, gum graft surgery, and the pinhole surgical technique. Scaling and root planing is one of the most common treatments for mitigating gum recession. It involves the removal of hardened plaque or tartar from the teeth as well as under the gum line to treat gum disease (scaling) and smoothing out the roots of the teeth (planing) to aid reattachment of the gums to the teeth. Up to a week following this deep cleaning process, you may experience tooth sensitivity and pain in your mouth which is perfectly normal. On the other hand, a periodontist might perform a gum graft surgery if the patient’s gums have significantly receded. Since gums do not grow back after a recession, this treatment helps prevent the situation from getting worse.
Compared to the earlier discussed treatments, pinhole surgery is a minimally-invasive dental procedure for treating receding gums. The treatment should be carried out by experienced periodontists with special training as it doesn’t require standard tools, such as scalpels, grafts, or sutures. The periodontist creates a tiny “pinhole” incision in the receded area using special needles. The tools are then inserted into the incision and used to guide the loosened gum tissue over the exposed tooth up to an adequate level. Strips of collagen are then inserted to hold the realigned tissues in place. Dr. Dyer is highly experienced in the pinhole surgery technique for the treatment of gum recession.
Contact Dr. Dyer to Fix Gum Recession Today!
Dr. Bret Dyer and his team at Fort Bend Periodontics & Implantology in Sugar Land, TX, are highly qualified and experienced in the treatment and management of all kinds of dental problems, including gum disease, gum recession, and cavities. We offer the best treatment with cutting-edge technologies at affordable costs to suit your needs and budget.
