There are a number of reasons why people suffer from receding gums. And although generally everybody’s attention is on their teeth, the gums play a key role for them, too. After all, what good is there to have white teeth if there is nowhere to su pport them on?
We will be talking about receding gums in this article, mainly the role that gums play, why they can recede and what you can do to improve that. Hopefully this information will prove useful to you!
Why are gums so important?
It is the gums’ job to keep your teeth in place. This is done by wrapping around them and keeping them from shifting. For this reason, it is normal that whenever a patient has lost too much gum tissue or the gums recede, a number of problems arise.
The problems can vary to things like, tooth sensitivity, tooth decay, gum disease, bad breath and more!
For example, gums that have receded too much may expose the root of the tooth, which is only protected by cementum. Cementum works like tooth enamel in protecting the inside, but it is far weaker in comparison. By having your root exposed, plaque can easily get to the root and not only cause pain, but tooth sensitivity.
What makes gum recede?
There are a handful things that can trigger this, so here you have some of the reasons listed. Perhaps you can relate to some of them and put you in action:
- Your oral habits might not be the best. Not brushing and flossing everyday can prove fatal as you will be likely to develop gingivitis, which is the first stage of periodontal (gum) disease.
- You might be brushing too hard. For this there are a bunch of things to keep in mind:
- If you are not using a soft bristled toothbrush for the job, then consider switching to that. Not only will it help you not harming your gums, but also will help you going easy on the tooth enamel, too.
- Remember that you have to brush gently, not scrub. The plaque that builds up is soft and sticky, so too much force to remove it is not necessary.
- Also bruxism might be at fault, too. Bruxism is when you grind or clench your teeth. If you find yourself grinding your teeth, then you should try stopping yourself from that. This mostly happens at night, so you might consider wearing a mouth guard to prevent such act.
- You have tooth trauma. A traumatic injury is likely to cause the gums to recede.
- To put it simply, it only takes one of your parents to have gum recession for you to be subjected to it. Which is even more of a reason to take care and achieve a great smile while at it!
Tips to keep your gums healthy
Keeping good oral habits proves important at the moment to avoid further complications. Even more so because in the case of gum disease, it is essentially painless, so most people overlook it.
For you to keep healthy gums, make sure to have a top notch brushing technique:
- When brushing, as we mentioned before, make sure to use a tooth brush with soft bristles. Avoid the hard ones at all costs!
- Keep into account that most people brush for too little time, at around 45 seconds. If you want your brushing to be effective, you must brush for at least 2 minutes, as that’s what it takes for the components to have a real effect.
- Tilt your brush 45° towards the gums, so you can get all the plaque building up around the gum line.
- Be ever so gentle with your teeth, using short and gentle strokes on each of your teeth. And don’t forget to brush the back of them!
- Last but not least, brush the inside of your cheeks as well as the tongue. Most toothbrushes come with a built-in tongue scrapper on the back of their heads!
If you have any issues or are seeking cheap treatments with the best dentist, consider contacting us to get the best prices here in Los Algodones, Mexico.