What does it mean and why is it important to our understanding of dental health?
We all understand that “recession” of the gums means that the gums are shrinking and the crowns of the teeth are getting longer. Three things or a combination of them usually cause this; aggressive or abrasive brushing and flossing, inadequate oral hygiene and professional cleaning and possibly grinding of the teeth, especially when it occurs at night when it is out of our control and can go on for hours. This is what Shakespeare called getting “long of tooth.” It has little or anything to do with aging.
Those of us that have it or have seen it understand that the gums are shrinking back. The important thing that most of us don’t realize is that the bone underneath that supports the teeth is often shrinking back as well. Gum is a specialized form of “skin” that exists only in the mouth. However, it serves the same function as skin; it seals and protects the underlying structures like bone and muscle. In health, there is only a thin covering of gum over the underlying bone, so if only the gum were receding we would soon see the bone sticking out around the teeth, and we don’t. That’s because the bone is receding as well due to the same harmful causes mentioned above. But because we often don’t see the bone we don’t understand this.
It’s the loss of bone that is more worrisome though the recession of the gum alone certainly has undesirable cosmetic consequences. To prevent the recession of both the gum and the bone means addressing the causes mentioned above. This would include excellent oral hygiene using a soft toothbrush (hard home care is never good home care) regular professional cleanings and, if part of the cause is grinding and clenching, wearing an appliance that will prevent those forces from causing damage. This will solve both problems at the same time, loss of the gum and loss of the supporting bone.