Health Care

What Is Gum Recession?

Apart from teeth, gums are also considered to be quite important as far as oral parts are concerned. It is only due to gums that teeth remain intact at their respective places in the mouth. Gums help in keeping the teeth rooted deeply and properly so that you may perform all the functions related to teeth and the oral parts in a hassle-free and problem-free manner. Unfortunately, there are numbers of problems related to the gums that may intervene with overall normal functioning of the teeth. And recession through gum is also a common problem that is experienced by people of all age groups and genders across the globe. Now one may wonder what it actually means. Let us discuss this problem in a somewhat detailed manner in the current content:-

What is the recession of gums?

In simple language, gum recession may be defined as the pulling away of the gums from your teeth. It may happen in one or more teeth. People who suffer from this problem find problems in chewing their foods properly. Even some people may complain of pain and other issues too. The gum tissues pull away from the teeth during recession of the gums thereby exposing certain parts of the rooted teeth as well. 

What are the possible causes?

Well, there are numbers of causes that lead to the recession of the gums. Some of the most commonly recognized causes of this problem include periodontal diseases, improper and hard brushing of the teeth, use of wrong toothbrush, certain injuries to the gums such as those caused during an accident or sports, improperly fitting dentures, excessive smoking, use of tobacco for long time, genetic reasons and so on. There may be some other reasons too such as thin or weak gums by birth and prominent teeth roots in an individual. 

What are the symptoms?

People who suffer from this problem experience some changes in the appearance of their dental structure. There may be increased gap amidst the affected teeth. Also some people complain of increased sensitivity to heat and cold. It is due to exposure of the teeth roots.

What are the risk factors?

The chances of occurrence of the problem of recession of gums in some people are higher than the others. These may include old age, people with family history of the problem and diabetes. In diabetic people, this problem is quite common. 

How to prevent it?

The simplest way to prevent this problem is by using soft and good quality toothbrushes. Also you must take care of hygiene of teeth and avoid any plaque formation on the teeth. 

This was all about the recession of the gums. By knowing about this problem related to your oral parts in a detailed manner, you may keep the same at bay.