Gum Recession: Three Habits that Could be the Cause

These three habits could be causing your gum recession

Gum recession can be really frustrating — especially if you’re diligent about brushing twice a day, flossing regularly and never skip a dental appointment. 

When it comes to your gum, it’s not just what you do that matters; how you brush and floss is also important. While the first step in preventing gum recession should be to visit your dentist, these small changes to your cleaning routine may also help. 

What is gum recession?

Gum recession is where the gums pull away from the teeth, exposing the roots beneath. It’s actually a form of gum disease and can affect one tooth or multiple teeth throughout the mouth. As the gum recedes it can also create a pocket that traps food and bacteria around the gum line – speeding up the process.   

1. Switch aggressive brushing for a softer approach

Our gums are surprisingly delicate. To keep them clean you don’t need a heavy hand or a heavy bristled toothbrush. In fact, aggressively brushing or scrubbing your teeth could be causing your gum recession. 

In fact, research compiled by scientists from more than 118 articles found that toothpaste abrasively and toothbrush force play a big role in injury to soft tissue.

Here’s how to make your routine gentler on your gums:

• Swap your hard or medium toothbrush for a soft bristled brush
• Avoid toothpastes with abrasive agents (these are often found in whitening pastes)
• Brush in circular motions rather than back and forth swipes
• Swap aggressive fast cleaning for a slower cleaning that lasts two minutes

Slowing down your brushing routine will not only be softer on your gums. You’re more likely to achieve a thorough clean. Most of the plaque and bacteria found in our mouths hangs out along the gum line. 

Brushing your teeth in slow circular motions helps to clean the whole tooth — not just the enamel. 

2. Stop sawing when you floss  

Flossing is an important step for removing plaque from between your teeth. Even brushing twice a day isn’t enough to remove all food and debris from our mouths. But, like using the wrong brushing technique, using too much pressure can hurt your gums more than help them. 

How to floss without hurting your gums

If you’ve been flossing by placing the floss between your teeth and using a sawing motion to remove plaque, you’re not along. A lot of people have never learnt the right way to floss. Try doing this instead:

• Instead of pulling the floss straight down, hug the floss around the curve of each tooth in a ‘C’ shape.
• Avoid snapping the floss into the gum line. Gently slide it up and down against the side of each tooth.
• Gently guide the floss just slightly under the gum line stopping when you feel resistance.
• If your gums bleed, it’s often a sign of early gum disease (gingivitis) and a sign that you need to floss more often.  

3. Fix your bruxism

If you often wake up with a sore jaw, you may be damaging your gums while you sleep without even knowing it.

Bruxism — teeth grinding or clenching is a common cause of gum recession. The lateral pressure on your teeth can cause the gum tissue to become inflamed and eventually pull away from the roots.   

Signs you might be grinding your teeth:

• Morning headaches: Waking up with a headache or jaw ache.
• Worn teeth: Your teeth look worn down or appear shorter or flatter
• Increased sensitivity: Your teeth are sensitive to hot or cold.

What you can do:

The best way to prevent bruxism, and perhaps fix your gum recession in the process is to wear a nightguard. This can act as a cushion, redistributing the pressure and protecting both your enamel and your gums.

Since bruxism can be caused by stress, finding ways to relax before you go to sleep may stop you from grinding your teeth.

What is the best way to prevent further gum recession?

The most common cause of gum recession is periodontal disease. The thing is, even if you have a solid oral hygiene routine you can still have bacteria or plaque causing problems along your gum line. 

While changes to your tooth brushing routine can help, you might need a clean to remove plaque from below the gum line. 

At Gentle Dental, our oral health therapists specialise in dental care. If you are concerned about worsening gum recession, we can help. Get started by booking a dental hygiene appointment at any of our Wellington dental clinics now.