3 Potential Dental Treatments For Moderate Gum Recession

Gum recession refers to the soft tissue pulling away from the bottom of the teeth, which can give the appearance of the teeth becoming longer. Recession can happen due to poor oral healthcare, using too heavy of a hand when brushing, or simple genetics. The damage isn't reversible but, if caught early, you can likely prevent the condition from worsening by improving your oral healthcare.

If your moderate gum recession is causing self-esteem issues, there are a few potential dental treatments your cosmetic dentist can use to help.

Scaling and Root Planing

Moderate gum recession involves the gums pulling away from the teeth and forming tiny pockets. The pockets can gather bacteria and worsen over time, which will cause the gums to recede even further. Your dentist can potentially cure these pockets using a pair of cleaning procedures called scaling and root planing.

Scaling and root planing require the dentist to clean the teeth, gums, and gum pockets thoroughly with a combination of traditional and ultrasonic tools. Small pockets will start to close on their own after the cleaning. For larger pockets, your dentist might need to cut into the pockets to pull the tissue tight around the base of he tooth, where it will heal in place.

Gum Graft

Do you have some areas of your mouth where the gums have receded far more than the rest? Do those areas lack enough gum pocket tissue to pull up to cover the recession? If you answered yes to one or both of these questions, your dentist might recommend a gum graft.

A gum graft uses soft tissue from the roof of your mouth to patch in areas that have more severe recession. The graft tissue is stitched to the existing gums, and after a healing period, the tissues will fuse together.

Veneers

Is the gum recession uneven around your front tooth or teeth and causing problems with your self-esteem? Does the tooth with the most recession also have structural problems such as a deep crack or a chip? Your dentist might offer a dental veneer to solve two of your problems at once.

Veneers are custom-fit porcelain pieces that fit over the front of your tooth. Your existing tooth will be filed down a bit to allow for bonding and room for the veneer to provide some reshaping. The veneer can be made to end slightly higher than neighboring teeth so that the gums underneath look higher.

For more information, contact http://www.claremontdentalinstitute.com or a similar website.