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Exploring the Benefits of Surgical Solutions for Receding Gums

Receding gums can significantly detract from the appearance of your smile and may lead to tooth loss and other dental issues.

Unfortunately, gums cannot grow back. What’s more, receding gums is a progressive condition, which means it worsens over time. The good news is that treatment from an oral surgeon in Melbourne, FL, can help prevent gum recession from worsening.

Healthy Gums are Important to Your Smile and Overall Health

Pink, healthy gums make your smile more attractive, but they are also crucial to your oral health and overall well-being. Gum tissue helps hold your teeth in place. It also creates a protective barrier between your body and any harmful bacteria that may enter your mouth.

Gums also protect the roots of your teeth. The roots anchor your teeth in your jaw, create a space for nerves and blood vessels serving the tooth, and transmit beneficial pressure to your jawbone when you chew. While tooth roots are strong and sturdy, they are not protected by tooth enamel; this makes them sensitive to temperature and sweetness, and vulnerable to bacteria.

What are Receding Gums?

Receding gums are a condition in which the gum tissue pulls away from the surface of your teeth to expose the root below. Pockets can develop between the gum tissue and the teeth, allowing bacteria to enter and cause gum disease, also known as gum infections. The more the gums recede, the deeper the pockets can become. Without treatment, these pockets can create an environment that allows serious gum infections to develop.

Signs and symptoms include:

  • Discomfort or even pain at the gum line
  • Sensitivity to cold, heat, or sweets
  • Sensitivity when you brush or floss your teeth
  • Sensitivity during routine dental cleaning

Causes

Many factors can cause your gums to recede. Top causes include:

  • Brushing too aggressively
  • The buildup of dental plaque or tartar
  • Gum disease
  • Injury to the gums
  • Misaligned teeth
  • The use of smoking or chewing tobacco
  • Lip and tongue piercings

Left untreated, gum recession can cause:

  • The loss of the bone tissue that keeps your teeth in place
  • Loose teeth
  • The loss of one or more teeth

Untreated gum recession can also expose the roots of your teeth, leaving them vulnerable to sensitivity and bacterial infections.

Non-surgical treatments

In some cases, dentists recommend non-surgical treatments for receding gums. These treatments include:

  • Professional cleaning to remove plaque and tartar, reduce inflammation
  • Antibiotics to control contributing bacterial infections
  • Antimicrobial mouthwash to rinse away bacteria

Oral surgeons may recommend these non-surgical treatments alone for minor gum infections and in conjunction with surgical solutions for severely receding gums.

Oral Surgery for Receding Gums

The most common surgical option for receding gums is a gum graft. Formally known as a gingival graft, a gum graft covers exposed tooth roots or restores the affected gum tissue. During a gum graft, the oral surgeon moves gum tissue from one area of the patient’s mouth to the treatment area.

Benefits of Surgical Solutions for Receding Gums

For some patients, surgery is the best or only option. This is especially true for patients whose receding gums have gotten worse despite having undergone non-surgical treatments.

Protect against further damage.

Oral surgery can halt the progression of receding gums, preventing further damage. More specifically, it can help reduce the development or deepening of pockets.

Protects against tooth loss.

Surgery for receding gums can help you keep your teeth by reducing the size of pockets and preventing infections from reaching your jawbone. In other words, gum surgery can help you keep your teeth.

Reduce tooth sensitivity.

Gum surgery can help cover tooth roots to insulate them from heat, cold, and sweets. Reduced sensitivity can help you brush and floss adequately.

Improve the appearance of your smile.

Receding gums expose more of the tooth root, which can make your teeth look unhealthy. This is especially true of receding gums that are accompanied by gum disease, loose teeth, or even missing teeth. It can also become uncomfortable to brush and floss, and leftover food between your teeth isn’t pretty.

For more information about the benefits of surgical solutions for receding gums, contact Sedaros Oral Facial Surgery & Dental Implants. We offer a wide variety of oral surgery solutions in Melbourne, FL.