why are my gums receding?

In some of my patients, gum recession occurs. This leads to exposed roots. Often, these roots become sensitive to temperature, In our older patients we are seeing more decay on these exposed roots. Why does this happen?

The gums are in place to cover the underlying bone. When bone is lost, the gums follow this loss, exposing the roots of the teeth.

So how is bone lost? There are two reasons for this. Gum disease and bite trauma.

The end result of gum disease, is loss of the bone around the teeth. This can be one cause of gum recession. So floss and brush every day to keep your gums healthy.

The forces of a misaligned bite can cause bone loss. This is similar to wiggling a fence post in the ground. As the post is moved, the hole in the ground gets bigger. The same happens with your teeth. If the forces are incorrect on the teeth, the socket in the bone gets bigger leading to bone loss.

If you have gum recession, and your gums are healthy, consider your bite as the culprit.

Have a great spring.

Mark Luttrell

Remember to floss only the teeth you want to keep