Can Receding Gums Be Treated?

If you suffer from receding gums, treatment is available. Sunrise Dental in Glendale specializes in diagnosing and treating periodontal diseases. We can spot the early signs of receding gums, and put you on a course of treatment that will help restore your gums and protect them from further damage.

Causes of Receding Gums

Receding gums can affect adults of any age, depending on their periodontal health. Improper gum care, injuries to the gums, genetic conditions, ill-fitting dentures, smoking, and tobacco use can all lead to gum recession. However, the number one cause of receding gums is gum disease. 

When your gums are healthy, they attach firmly to your teeth. When they are damaged or infected, they pull away, exposing the vulnerable roots of your teeth. If you have sensitive, bleeding, swollen, or receding gums, you should schedule a complete periodontal exam at Sunrise Dental right away. 

Diagnosing Receding Gums

During the examination, we will check your teeth for any mobility and measure the amount of plaque and tartar on the surface. Next, we’ll inspect your gums carefully for signs of inflammation, bleeding, and recession. Then we will measure the depth of the periodontal pockets at six different points around each tooth. 

Typically, healthy gum pockets are no deeper than three millimeters. If your pockets are deeper than four millimeters or if they bleed when we gently measure them, this is an indication that gum disease is present. Digital x-rays will reveal any bone loss and help us determine the severity of the gum disease so that we can recommend the best treatment.

Treatments for Receding Gums

Laser therapy is quick, effective, and completely painless. This non-invasive treatment reduces pocket size, kills bacteria, and helps to restore damaged gum tissue. It may be combined with other non-invasive procedures, such as scaling and root planing to discourage the buildup of tartar and bacteria.

Soft tissue grafts can help repair receding gums in advanced cases. During this procedure, healthy tissue from the roof of the mouth is surgically grafted onto the gums. The grafted tissue covers the exposed tooth roots and helps prevent further gum recession.

Contact Us

Scheduling regular appointments at Sunrise Dental is the best way to detect the early signs of gum disease. Our friendly dentists Dr. Timothy Mettler, Dr. Victoria Griego, and Dr. Andrew Mikhail are experts in treating receding gums and other periodontal diseases. Call us at 623-487-4870 or visit our website to request an appointment today.

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