Causes Of Gum Recession
Almost everyone suffers from some degree of gum recession as they age. It’s all a matter of how much and how fast. There are things you can do to reduce the risk of excessive recession of the gums, but it’s not possible to 100% eliminate that risk. That’s why you need to keep an eye on your gum line and see your local periodontist for a “gum checkup” at least once a year.
What are the most common causes of a receding gum line?
Here are 7 answers to that very good questions!
- Periodontal disease. When gums are infected with bacteria, it can result in gum tissue gradually detaching from the tooth roots. That ultimately leads to gum lines sliding downwards as the gum disease grows progressively worse, causing bone loss.
- Poor dental hygiene. Even without getting gum disease, gum recession can result when poor oral hygiene is practiced for years on end leading to inflammation and swollen gums which are easily damaged by routine service.
- Bushing too hard. Some people think that the harder they brush the better. But using a hard-bristled brush and “scrubbing” too hard and long can push gum tissue down your teeth. It can actually wear the gum away by abrasion.
- Genetics. Some people are simply genetically predisposed to gum recession problems.
- Tobacco & alcohol. Smoking has a huge negative impact on gum health and on gum line height. Smoking causes peripheral vasoconstriction, which simply means not enough blood reaches the gums to fight dental infections. Too much alcohol may also damage your gums in the same ways.
- Lip/tongue ring irritations. Irritation to the soft tissue in your mouth can be caused by a lip or tongue ring. This can cause the gums to recede away from the source of irritation.
- Tooth misalignment. When teeth are not aligned properly, it dramatically increases the chances of serious gum recession because the teeth are more difficult to reach with a toothbrush or dental floss. However, trying to realign teeth too quickly during orthodontics can also cause the same problem.
PST Grafts Or Traditional Gum Grafts?
In mild cases, you may not need to do anything more about gum recession than to simply improve your oral hygiene going forward. If you do need a surgical correction from an experienced periodontist, however, there are two main options: PST grafts or gum grafts.
With traditional gum surgery, you have to stitch soft tissue (gum) grafts into place where your gum tissue is lacking. In some cases, you can do an epithelial soft tissue graft, or a subepithelial soft tissue graft, or a pedicle graft.usually using the patients own palatal tissue.. But often, you use purchased allograft tissue, which can be sourced from tissue banks..
With PST (pinhole surgical technique) grafts, no new tissue is brought in and often no sutures are needed. Working through a pinhole-sized incision, the gums are moved up on each tooth as needed. Collagen strips help to hold them in place until they fully heal and 100% reattach themselves.
The PST approach is much less invasive, heals faster, involves less post-op pain, bleeding, and swelling, and gets as good or better end results. It is the cutting-edge technique for restoring receded gum lines!
To learn more and to decide whether or not PST grafts are right for you, contact periodontist Dr. Raymond A. Kenzik in Ormond Beach, Florida, without delay!