Why do we get gum recession?

What are the main reasons for gum recession?

There seem to be a couple of major reasons for gum recession that are frequently cited – you might have several of them!  

• Periodontal disease
• Bruxism / teeth grinding
• Genetically thin gums
• Over zealous brushing
• Braces
• Other hard objects in the mouth, like piercings

Periodontal disease - numero uno

Periodontal (gum) disease is the number one reason for gum recession, for most adults.  I put this post together because I personally have never had a problem with gum disease, being the sort that is obsessive about dental hygiene. I became quite frustrated with various medical professionals telling me that I must have gum disease, otherwise I would have issues with recession, but thankfully, I finally found some experts to tell me what my real issue was. 

Bruxism or tooth grinding

Bruxism was the killer for me. I spent years grinding my teeth at night. The way it was explained to me was that the extremely powerful forces on the teeth essentially start to flex them in the socket.

Think about how you would try to get a stake out of a lawn – you would wiggle it back and forth until the ground around it came loose, right?  That’s what is happening with your teeth and gums – I was horrified when I was finally diagnosed that this had been happening in my mouth for years and years!  Apparently this is a growing phenomenon, what with stressful modern lives and the greater use of certain medications.

Genetically thin gums

I’ve also got thin gums – this is apparently more common in some demographics – but it doesn’t necessarily cause problems on its own.  Combined with any of the other factors above though, and it might contribute to the severity of problems.  Apparently this is more common in people of Asian descent - nothing to worry about on its own, but it may mean you have to be extra careful about preventing gum disease and brushing ever-so-gently

Brushing too hard

This is often given as an explanation and I do believe it is the culprit for some people. However, I have watched my husband scrub and scrub at his teeth with a hard toothbrush and he’s never had any issues (the toothbrushes on the other hand definitely look worse for wear – totally splayed bristles within a week).  To me, this suggests that brushing too hard is important when you have the bad luck of thin gums or other problems. 

Braces

In theory, this can happen as teeth are shifted into their new positions, but the recession is usually self-limiting once the braces are off and not everyone will be affected. It seems to have lot to do with the alignment of your teeth to begin with, the shape of your jaw and the skill of your ortho.  The jury is still out on this one - it could also because teeth are harder to keep clean with those lovely metal arches in place.  

Takeaways

The point is, for anyone it will be down to individual circumstances and some things that are problems for other people may not be an issue for you (and vice versa).  

I would suggest you look at the daily life of your gums and see if any of the factors affect you... I wish someone had been on hand to advise me before things got too far.  Some factors can be eliminated to prevent further recession - brushing more gently and with a different toothpaste, getting a night split etc. But once the gums have receded they aren't coming back, so if you have any concerns I would urge you to find out what you can so about it!  

This is by no means a comprehensive explanation of everything that might be relevant to you. We all have different lives, and I think that's part of the difficulty in diagnosing the issues for individuals.  From my experience, you try to get your general dentist to refer to to a real specialist who can give expert advice, otherwise they may assume that you fit the majority profile regardless of the reality.