Your smile is everything. And receding gums can ruin it.
Receding gums make your teeth appear longer than they are, and can distort what was once a gleaming smile. Receding gums is also a potentially serious side effect of periodontitis or gum disease.
What is Gum Disease?
Gum disease is a condition that causes tooth loss, receding gums, and gingivitis – or the buildup of bad bacteria in the mouth.
Receding gums are just one aspect of periodontitis, and an issue everyone concerned about proper dental health should understand.
How do dentists Fix Receding Gums?
Before taking care of the problem of receding gums, a dentist will look into the damage done.
If your gums have receded, there’s a high chance infection has occurred. This will prompt the dentist to prescribe antibiotics to reduce the amount of bacteria in your mouth.
Along with antibiotics, dentists will often prescribe the following medication treatments:
Topical Antibiotic Gel – An antibiotic that you can apply directly to the affected area
Antimicrobial Mouthwash – A special mouth rinse that targets and kills bacteria
Antiseptic Chips – Gelatin pieces filled with chlorhexidine, placed in areas of receding gums after a deep cleaning, or root planing
Enzyme Suppressants – Doses of doxycycline that keep bacteria-causing enzymes from producing
Can Cosmetic Dentistry fix Receding Gums?
Before we dive into the dentistry techniques that help to fix receding gums, we’ll explore how cosmetic dentistry can mask receding gums.
Can you fix receding gums with veneers?
Gingival Veneers
Gingival Veneers – otherwise known as gum veneers – are removable inserts that cover the spaces revealed on your teeth by receding gums.
How to Care for Gingival Veneers
If gingival veneers are the best cosmetic dentistry solution for your receding gums, the dentist will instruct you to clean it either once a day, or after you eat.
Many gingival implants also must be left in water overnight to avoid changing shape. Much like dental dentures, gingival veneers are fitted to specific areas where gum recession has taken place.
Other Treatments for Receding Gums
Gum Veneers are the only tools cosmetic dentistry has for receding gums. But, that doesn’t mean there are no other treatments.
Surgical procedures for receding gums help not only make your smile look better – they get at the “root” causes of receding gums.
Gum Graft – After cleaning the area where your gums are receding from your teeth, a periodontist or dental surgeon may remove the mucosa (skin layer) from one part of your mouth to rebuild your gums. This helps isolate the potentially exposed tooth roots to decay agents, like food and plaque.
Scaling and Planing – A dentist – with the right dental tools – will scrape away excess buildup in areas where your gums are receding. This is often a preparatory procedure for any other surgical solution to receding gums.
Regeneration – Dental procedures have advanced far enough that we can regenerate bone and tissue loss from receding gums. A dentist will place a material that promotes bone or tissue growth in an area where gums are receding, and over a period of time, the affected area will grow back to health.
Consult a Dentist
Receding gums is one symptom of a much larger issue – bad dental health.
Cosmetic dentistry can fix receding gums, but the foremost concern of any dentist is making sure your dental health is in check.
Contact our office today if you are in need of an appointment – if you have receding gums, our staff are ready to help you on the way to a better and healthier smile.
Author; Dr Jeremy Rourke, B.D.S. Hons. Syd Univ. Dental Surgeon
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https://www.webmd.com/oral-health/ss/slideshow-cosmetic-dentistry