|
Posted on 7/25/2015 by Leslie Davis |
Do you suddenly feel like your teeth are getting longer? The truth is that while your teeth cannot grow, your gums could be receding, which means you are seeing more of your teeth than before. This can be bad for a variety of reasons. One reason is that you could be suffering from gum disease, which is causing the recession and needs to be treated right away. Even if you are not suffering from gum disease, your mouth is at risk for extreme sensitivity as the gum tissue is meant to protect the interior components of your teeth. So why would your gums recede if you don't have gum disease? Here are a few reasons that it could occur. Being too Hard on Your TeethSometimes your oral hygiene habits are just a bit too much. Some patients think that the harder they brush the more good they are doing their teeth. This is not true though. The key in proper oral hygiene is the technique, not how hard you brush. In fact, if you brush too hard, you could cause your gums to begin to recede, putting your mouth into other situations that are not pleasant, such as extreme sensitivities or an unpleasant look when you smile.Grinding your TeethIf you grind your teeth at night or even during the day due to stress, you are putting unnecessary pressure on your gums. Eventually, too much grinding can eat away at the gum tissue in your mouth. This is in addition to the damage to your enamel that tooth grinding causes. If the gum recession is bad enough, you could be experiencing excruciating pain in addition to the pain that grinding teeth cause.Bad Lifestyle Habits If you smoke or chew tobacco, your gums are at risk for recession. This is due to the damage that the tobacco causes to the gum tissue. This could occur with or without the presence of gum disease. Other lifestyle habits that could cause gum recession include poor oral hygiene or poor diet. Anything that stresses out your body or mouth can wreak havoc on your gum tissue, forcing it to become recessed. The best thing you can do if you have receding gums is to come in and see us. We can help you determine the reason and the best solution. The first step will be determining if you have gum disease or if the recession is occurring for another reason. If it is not gum disease, we will help you determine what needs to change in order to stop your gums from recessing. If it is something as simple as being too hard on your teeth while brushing, you can change your toothbrush and lighten up your touch while brushing. If it is something as severe as grinding your teeth, we can help you get fitted for a mouth guard to prevent tooth grinding. If it is due to your lifestyle habits, we will help you determine the best way to quit the habit or change them in order to provide your mouth with the best health. Recessed gums can pose many issues for your mouth, making it difficult to stay healthy. Sensitive teeth, an unpleasant smile, and further dental issues are just a few of the problems you will experience with damaged gums. It pays to come in for an appointment and see what we can do to help you in order to put an end to the pain and suffering of recessed gums. Please call us for an appointment today to get the help you need for your recessed gums! |
Leslie I. Davis, BDS, DDS, PC 13802 W Camino del Sol Suite 103 Sun City West, AZ 85375-4486 Phone: (623) 584-0664 Fax: (623) 584-1728 Hours:
Monday: 7am-3pm Tuesday: 7am-3pm Wednesday: 7am-3pm Thursday: 7am-3pm Friday: Closed Initial Consultations |