People develop receding gums for a variety of reasons. Periodontitis (gum disease), bruxism (clenching and grinding), aggressive brushing, or using a stiff-bristled toothbrush are all common examples. Rapid tooth movement during orthodontic therapy might also cause gum recession in some circumstances. People who smoke or use tobacco products have a higher incidence of receding gums.
Areas of gum recession do not and cannot mend themselves. While proper home care might help prevent additional recession, poor dental hygiene will only exacerbate tissue loss. Over time, cases of recession cause obvious black triangles, exposed tooth roots, or gaps between your teeth. These spots are not only unsightly, but they also shelter food and tartar buildup.
Exposed root surfaces tend to be extremely sensitive. And they significantly increase your chances of developing root-surface cavities because there is no enamel covering them.
It’s important to treat gum recession before more serious side-effects develop.
A gum graft (augmentation) or gum transplant is one of the most direct approaches to offset tissue loss caused by gum disease or traumatic injury. Gum grafts physically re-cover the exposed tooth roots by using tissue from another section of your mouth or an allograft material. The repositioned gingiva attaches to the tissues next to it, replacing the lost gum over the tooth.
The new layer of attachment tissue will serve both a functional as well as aesthetic purpose.
Traditional grafting is fairly prevalent when gum recession occurs as a result of physical trauma or previous cases of severe gum disease. We will wait until your tissues have healed and stabilized after scaling and root planing to perform the graft. It’s important that your tissues be healthy, with no active redness, inflammation, or bleeding.
To schedule a gum grafting consultation, contact our Aldie dental team today.
We are proud to call Aldie home, and happily provide the best quality dental work that Aldie has to offer. At Aldie Dental Care, we are happy to help with any dental questions you might have.
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