Noticing your gums pulling away from your teeth can be concerning. Gum recession, the gradual process where your gum line moves upward and exposes more of your tooth structure, affects many adults—with about 88% of people over age 65 experiencing some degree of recession. This common condition not only affects your smile’s appearance but can lead to sensitivity, tooth decay, and even tooth loss if left untreated.
In this guide, we’ll explore why gum recession happens, what you can do about it, and how to prevent further damage. While complete reversal isn’t always possible, understanding your options helps you take control of your oral health.
How to Identify Receding Gums
Recognizing the early signs of gum recession is crucial for timely intervention. Your gums might be receding if you notice:
Visual changes:
– Teeth appearing longer than before
– Visible tooth roots (yellow or brownish areas near the gum line)
– Gum line that’s uneven or seems to be pulling away from teeth
– Spaces developing between teeth that weren’t there before
Physical symptoms:
– Increased tooth sensitivity, especially to hot, cold, or sweet items
– Teeth feeling notched or indented at the gum line
– Bleeding gums when brushing or flossing
Many people confuse natural variations in gum height with recession. Healthy gums typically follow a scalloped pattern, with some teeth naturally having more gum coverage than others. True recession involves the actual loss of gum tissue over time, often accompanied by sensitivity or inflammation.
If you’re unsure whether your gums are receding, try comparing current photos of your smile with older ones, or schedule a dental assessment. Catching recession early provides more treatment options and better outcomes.
What Causes Gum Recession?
Understanding what’s behind your receding gums is the first step toward addressing the problem effectively. Several factors can contribute to gum tissue loss:
Periodontal Disease and Gum Inflammation
The leading cause of gum recession is periodontal disease—a bacterial infection that begins as gingivitis (gum inflammation) and can progress to periodontitis. When plaque and tartar buildup remain on teeth, they harbor bacteria that produce toxins, triggering an inflammatory response.
This inflammation destroys the connective tissues that hold your gums to your teeth. As periodontitis advances, the supporting bone around your teeth deteriorates, causing your gums to recede and creating pockets where more bacteria can flourish. Without treatment, this cycle continues, leading to further recession and potentially tooth loss.
Physical Damage to Gum Tissue
Mechanical factors can directly damage your delicate gum tissue:
- Aggressive tooth brushing: Scrubbing with hard-bristled brushes or using too much pressure wears away gum tissue over time. This is surprisingly common, affecting people who believe brushing harder means cleaning better.
- Teeth grinding and clenching: The excessive forces from bruxism (teeth grinding) stress the gums and can accelerate recession.
- Misaligned teeth or bite issues: When teeth don’t come together properly, abnormal forces can cause some areas to experience excessive pressure, contributing to localized recession.
- Oral piercings: Tongue or lip jewelry frequently rubs against gum tissue, gradually wearing it away.
Other Risk Factors
Several additional factors can increase your vulnerability to receding gums:
- Genetic predisposition: Some people naturally have thinner or more delicate gum tissue or a tendency toward gum problems regardless of their oral hygiene habits.
- Hormonal changes: Fluctuations during pregnancy, puberty, or menopause can make gums more sensitive and prone to recession.
- Tobacco use: Smoking and chewing tobacco damage gum tissue directly and impair blood flow needed for healing.
- Nutritional deficiencies: Inadequate vitamin C and other nutrients can compromise gum health and resilience.
- Certain medications: Some drugs cause dry mouth (reducing protective saliva) or gum enlargement that can lead to recession when it resolves.
Professional Treatments for Receding Gums
When home care isn’t enough to address gum recession, professional interventions can help halt progression and restore both function and appearance. Treatment options vary depending on the severity and cause of your recession.
Deep Cleaning and Antimicrobial Treatments
For early-stage recession related to periodontal disease, dentists typically start with non-surgical approaches:
Scaling and root planing involves carefully removing plaque and tartar from below the gum line (scaling) and smoothing the tooth root surfaces (planing) to promote gum reattachment and remove bacterial breeding grounds. This deep-cleaning procedure is performed under local anesthesia and may require multiple visits.
Following deep cleaning, your dentist might prescribe antimicrobial treatments such as:
– Antibiotic mouth rinses
– Antibiotic microspheres placed in deep pockets
– Oral antibiotics for systemic treatment of infection
These treatments target the bacterial cause of inflammation, creating conditions where your body can heal and preventing further tissue destruction. While they won’t reverse existing recession, they effectively halt progression when combined with improved home care.
Surgical Options for Severe Recession
For more advanced recession, surgical interventions can restore gum coverage and protect vulnerable root surfaces:
Gum grafting is the most common surgical treatment for significant recession. During this procedure, the periodontist takes tissue from another part of your mouth (typically the roof of your mouth) or uses donor tissue to cover exposed roots. The different types include:
- Connective tissue grafts (most common)
- Free gingival grafts
- Pedicle grafts (for patients with sufficient nearby gum tissue)
Recovery typically takes 1-2 weeks, with full healing and tissue integration occurring over several months. Success rates exceed 85% for most grafting procedures.
Regenerative procedures may be recommended when bone loss has accompanied recession. These involve applying special proteins, growth factors, or membranes to encourage your body to regenerate bone and tissue naturally. These techniques show promising results but are most effective when combined with excellent home care.
Can Receding Gums Be Reversed?
This question reflects one of the most common misconceptions about gum recession. To be completely clear: once gum tissue has receded, it cannot naturally grow back on its own. Unlike some tissues in your body, gum tissue doesn’t have the biological capability to regenerate lost structure without intervention.
However, this doesn’t mean the situation is hopeless:
What’s possible:
– Halting further progression through improved oral hygiene and treatment of underlying causes
– Reducing inflammation in remaining gum tissue, making it appear healthier
– Restoring some gum coverage through surgical procedures like grafting
– Protecting exposed root surfaces with bonding materials or veneers
What’s not possible:
– Complete natural reversal of already receded gum tissue
– Regeneration of lost gum tissue through home remedies alone
– Instant restoration of gum coverage without professional intervention
Many products and natural remedies claim to “reverse” gum recession, but these claims are misleading. What these approaches actually do is improve overall gum health and reduce inflammation, which may make gums appear fuller and healthier. This improvement is valuable but shouldn’t be confused with true regeneration of lost tissue.
The most effective approach combines professional treatment of underlying causes, surgical intervention where appropriate, and consistent home care to prevent future recession.
Home Care and Prevention Strategies
While you can’t reverse recession without professional help, you can prevent further damage and support your gum health with proper home care.
Proper Brushing and Flossing Techniques
How you clean your teeth matters as much as how often:
- Use a soft-bristled toothbrush—medium or hard bristles can damage gum tissue
- Brush at a 45-degree angle to your gums using gentle, circular motions
- Apply just enough pressure to feel the bristles against your gums—never scrub
- Consider using an electric toothbrush with pressure sensors
- Floss daily, gently curving the floss around each tooth rather than snapping it into gums
Proper technique helps remove plaque without traumatizing delicate gum tissue. Many dentists can demonstrate the ideal approach for your specific needs.
Supportive Natural Remedies
Several natural approaches can complement (but not replace) regular brushing, flossing, and professional care:
- Salt water rinses (½ teaspoon salt in 8 oz warm water) reduce inflammation and fight bacteria
- Oil pulling with coconut oil may help reduce plaque and gingivitis according to some studies
- Aloe vera gel applied topically can soothe inflammation and promote healing
- Green tea contains antioxidants that may reduce gum inflammation when consumed regularly
These remedies support gum health by reducing inflammation and fighting bacteria—just remember they aren’t substitutes for addressing underlying causes or proper oral hygiene.
Lifestyle and Dietary Factors
Your daily choices significantly impact gum health:
- Quit tobacco in all forms—smoking and chewing tobacco severely compromise gum health
- Manage stress to reduce teeth grinding (consider a nightguard if you grind while sleeping)
- Stay hydrated to maintain adequate saliva production, which naturally protects gums
- Eat a nutrient-rich diet with plenty of vitamin C (citrus, berries, cruciferous vegetables) and omega-3 fatty acids (fatty fish, flaxseeds)
- Limit sugary and acidic foods and beverages that contribute to plaque formation
These adjustments support your body’s natural ability to maintain healthy gum tissue and resist infection.
When to See a Dentist About Receding Gums
While home care is essential, knowing when to seek professional help is equally important. Schedule a dental appointment if you notice:
- Sudden or significant changes in your gum line
- Teeth that appear longer than before
- Increased sensitivity, especially to temperature
- Bleeding gums during brushing or flossing
- Loose teeth or widening spaces between teeth
- Persistent bad breath despite good oral hygiene
Even without symptoms, regular dental check-ups (typically every six months) allow for early detection of recession before it becomes severe. During these visits, dentists measure “pocket depths” around teeth to track gum health over time.
When discussing gum recession with your dentist, consider asking:
– What’s causing my recession?
– How advanced is my condition?
– What treatment options are appropriate for my situation?
– What can I do at home to prevent further recession?
– Should I see a periodontist (gum specialist)?
Early intervention is key—the sooner you address receding gums, the more conservative and successful your treatment is likely to be.
Remember that gum recession, while common, isn’t inevitable. With the right combination of professional care and daily habits, you can protect your gums and maintain a healthy smile for life.
