Every dentist that will tell you that brushing your teeth every day is a must for good dental hygiene, but what they may not tell you is that brushing your teeth too hard every day can lead to painful receding gums. Receding gums are caused by several different things but there are ways that you can prevent and stop receding gums.
Receding Gums Explained
First off, the gums or the gingiva are the soft tissue areas around the top and sides of the teeth. They work to protect the teeth, especially the roots of the teeth which are very sensitive. The gums should be a very tight fit against the teeth, but when a person suffers from receding gums, the gums actually start pulling away from the teeth. When gum recession happens, the roots of the teeth get exposed which can cause very painful sensations and sensitivity.
Causes of Receding Gums
When you know what cases receding gums, you can prevent it from happening which is the best way to stop gum recession before it even starts. Almost all cases of receding gums are caused by gum disease or periodontal disease. Gum disease is very common in adults and most people don’t even know that they suffer from it.
One of the most popular causes of receding gums is brushing the teeth with too much pressure. When you constantly brush your teeth too hard over a span of many years, you start wearing away the gums and they become unattached causing gum recession.
Other causes of receding gums include misaligned teeth, injury to the teeth or gums, smoking, and oral piercings.
How to Stop Receding Gums
The best way to stop receding gums is to not let your gums start receding in the first place. Some people just assume that gum recession is something that naturally comes along with age, but that is not true. If you take some of these precautions for how to stop receding gums, you can find that you have healthy gums well into your old age.
Be aware of how hard you are brushing your teeth. There are electric toothbrushes that are available that actually come with sensors that will let you know if you are applying too much pressure when brushing. You should apply an even pressure light pressure and use short and gentle strokes. It is not necessary to “scrub” your teeth on a daily basis to get the plague off them.
At the first sign of any red, swollen, or bleeding gums, which can indicate gum disease, be sure to make a dentist appointment as soon as possible. Gum disease can be treated and healed if it is caught before the bone and root of the teeth are exposed.
Be sure that you are flossing on a regular basis to help prevent gum disease. Plague and bacteria can build up in between the teeth and needs to be removed to prevent infections and disease.
Receding gums can be stopped with good oral hygiene and regular checkups to your dentist.
