As people age, their gum line naturally recedes gradually and makes their teeth look larger. Some people don't like this look, so they seek out a cosmetic dentist for help. Besides the aesthetics there are some good functional reasons to fix your receding gum line. Read on to learn more about the causes of this issue and how to fix it.

Besides Age, What Causes Gum Recession?

Gum recession can be caused ironically by oral hygiene. If you brush your teeth and gums to hard, it can wear down tissues. So be gentle when you are brushing.

Gum recession is also caused by gingivitis, or gum inflammation, and gum disease. Gum disease occurs when your gums become so infected with bacteria that they actually pull away from your tooth roots.

How Does a Receding Gumline Affect Your Health?

If you don't take care of your gum disease, long-looking teeth will be the least of your problems. Your jawbone can become infected and you could lose your teeth!

When gum tissue recedes, your dentin can actually become exposed. Dentin is usually protected by cementum, gum tissue and enamel. When it becomes exposed it's easier for decay and abscesses to form.

Lastly, you may actually have a difficult time eating with gum recession, as your teeth will be more sensitive to hot and cold foods.

How Can a Cosmetic Dentist Help?

A cosmetic dentist can take many routes to help you, such as the following:

Pinhole Surgery

A pinhole surgical technique (PST) is a great method to restore your gum tissue since it is minimally invasive. In fact, you could restore your gum tissue in one or two appointments! During the procedure, your dentist will use a very tiny instrument to make a small hole in your gum tissue.

Once the hole is made, the dentist will use special instruments to actually loosen this gum tissue so that it can be pulled down over exposed tooth roots. Once your gum line is restored, the tissue will be sutured into place.

Gum Tissue Grafts

A graft is simply tissue that is taken from another site on the body to replace injured tissue. Your cosmetic dentist has many options for grafts depending on your situation. For example, he or she can take a little tissue from the soft palate of your mouth and graft it to your gum area. Your dentist can also cut away gum tissue from your gum line and create a flap that can be pulled over the tooth root.

Pocket Reduction

If you have gum disease, your receding gums may be due to pockets filled with bacteria. Your dentist can clean the pockets of bacteria, secure the gums back to your teeth, and let the gum tissue heal by itself.

You don't have to be self-conscious of long or large-looking teeth. Contact a cosmetic dentist in your area today for more information.

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