Maintaining Healthy Gums

Gum recession and minimizing the risk is easy as long as you know how to deal with it. Gum recession is not necessarily tied to age but rather other factors that cause gum recession are more influential. Over time, however, the recession of gums takes hold and is the reason why many think it is an age-related issue.

What Is Gum Recession?

Gum recession is when the gingival tissue in your mouth moves away from the tooth's crown and exposes the root. It can be avoidable but there is genetics that can also play a role in gum recession. Simply put, there are people that are more apt to be prone to gum recession due to their DNA. Fragile tissue in the gums or lack of genetics with a smaller jaw bone can influence the progression of this disease.Even children can have gum recession issues for the same reasons as adults such as overbrushing and teeth grinding.But there is hope even if you are pre-genetically disposed to gum recession and disease. You can minimize certain factors that cause gum recession in your mouth.

Bruxism

Chronic teeth grinding or Bruxism is bad for your teeth in many ways, but for gum recession, it accelerates the process. Because grinding of the teeth puts more pressure on the gums it can break their strength down and speed up gum recession. Often a hard habit to break, teeth grinding, if haulted will help with healthier gums (and teeth). At Esthetic Family Dentistry, we can help with solutions for teeth grinding.

Over Brushing

Another cause of gum recession comes from over-brushing of the teeth. Sounds counter-intuitive but the truth is that brushing too hard and for too long can actually damage your gums.This is much easier to avoid than Bruxism for example. Brushing your teeth is not like scrubbing your kitchen floor, so no need for elbow grease. Choose a soft bristle toothbrush for gentle cleaning. A good brushing habit should be twice daily and for roughly two minutes. Try brushing listening to your favorite 2-minute song. When the song is over, time to stop brushing.You can tell if you are over brushing if your toothbrush starts to fray earlier than 2 months. This is a sign you either brush too much or too hard or even both. Your gums will thank you and the same goes for flossing. Be gentle between your teeth as well and avoid irritating your gums.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkKITv_i7GM

Prevention Is The Key To Healthy Gums

If you are suffering from gum recession we would be happy to make you an appointment with one of our outstanding Colorado Springs Dentists. We offer a no-judgment atmosphere, a caring team of dentists, assistants and front office staff, and want you to have a smile you can always be proud of. Call today to get started!