Gum Recession. A massive problem.

Why looking after your gums is better than looking after your teeth

‘Once the gum is gone, its gone forever’.

Gum recession is lowering of the gum height. Gum disease is defined as gum inflammation often characterised by gum bleeding.

 

The problem with gum recession is that gum regeneration is one of the most difficult aspects in dentistry. While we can fix broken down teeth, it is not the same with gum disease. One can almost assume, ‘once the gum is gone, its gone forever’.

With the emphasis of ‘brushing teeth well’ and the use of electric brushes in modern dentistry, it is easier than ever to cause recession.  See below:

It is easy to over brush with the rotatory electric toothbrushes. Whilst there are pressure sensors on brushes, it may still be too high for patients prone to recession.

What would you suggest?

One might want to consider the use of the sonic brushes. The best is the PHILLIPS SONI-CARE. They are expensive – just get the basic version and if necessary, when the price drops below £100. Use it like a ‘hover craft’ – without touching the teeth or gums so recession is minimised.

 

If they do not touch the teeth, how do sonic toothbrushes work?

High frequency oscillations causes cavitation of the water creating large and quick pressure pressure changes in very small areas. This causes bacteria and debris to lift off away the teeth.

 

For better understanding how these work visit: Sonic toothbrushes.

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What we advise our patients:

Almost all of our patients can attain a high standard of dental health with manual tooth brushes, even with fixed braces in place. The key factor are:

1. The duration of brushing. It normally takes 20 small, tight wiggles between the teeth with a soft brush to loosen the plaque.
2. Interdental monitoring with Tepe Interdental points. If there is bleeding, it is the first sign of gum disease. Use curasept gel twice a day for 5-10 days.
3. The pressure on the teeth and gums. Quick hard scrubbing is bad for gums. Be gentle and take your time.
4. Size and type of brush. These MUST be small. We recommend a small headed baby brush
5. Supplementary aids such as disclosing tablets and interdental brushes can also be an enormous help. We will advise depending on individual needs.

Getting the right balance:

With good care of the gums and excellent orthodontics the long term improvement can reap long term benefits. See before and after images below: