Receding Gums

[rodger]

Hi Tom

My gums started receding since June 2012 and is receding fast. I am approaching 50. I wonder if you have any tips as to slow it or stop it completely and if at all possible, to regrow some of them. Thanks in advance!

[Tom Hagerty]

I wonder if you have any tips...

I have a lot of tips. But before the tips it's important to know why the gums start to recede. It's often caused by bacterial gum infections that destroy the gum tissue and as it progresses can even destroy the bone that supports the teeth.

Of course cleaning the teeth with a soft brush after every meal is necessary; even more important, though, is flossing correctly with unwaxed floss. The unwaxed floss catches the particles between the teeth that waxed floss does not.

If your gums are really in bad shape, it might be a good idea to see a dental professional who does deep cleaning, sometimes called tooth scaling or root planning. This can stop further gum recession. Friends of mine with similar tooth problems have gone to the Ohio State University Dental Clinic and have had great results.

If your situation is really bad though - deep pockets between gum and tooth - periodontal surgery may be required. At the Ohio Sate University Dental Clinic there are many new procedures to reduce pocket depth problems: gum regeneration, soft tissue graft, gingival graft, and more. If you have the cash, there are many new options out there, mostly connected with the dental clinics of the major universities like UCLA and Ohio State.

Good teeth are important for keeping your face looking young. If a person loses his teeth, all the facial exercise in the world will not help much.