Gum Recession
Gum recession is a pathological process in which the location of the gum changes when the root of the tooth is exposed. Gum recession is an aesthetic problem that has a significant impact on a person’s appearance, and consequently causes significant psychological discomfort. Moreover, the tooth turns out to be without the protection of the soft gum tissue, which provokes its destruction and loss. Most often, this disease is diagnosed in elderly people, although in some cases it is also noted in young patients.
CAUSES OF GUM RECESSION
Gum recession is a defect, the causes of which may be congenital, anatomical or post-traumatic. The most common causes that provoke this pathology are:
Anatomical features of the structure of the gum, when human teeth have massive roots, but at the same time a thin layer of cortical bone. This disrupts the normal blood supply to the vestibular areas of the bone, which leads to the loss of the cortical plate.
Shallow depth of the vestibule of the oral cavity. This provokes regular injury to the gum tissues during meals and a violation of their blood supply.
Abnormal bite and location of teeth. Incorrect U-turn, crowding, incorrect bite can provoke a violation of the blood supply to the bone tissue.
Dental deposits and plaque. This provokes the occurrence of gingivitis and exposure of the root of the tooth due to the constant inflammatory process.
Gum injury, single or multiple. There are many types of injuries that can provoke a gum recession: external injuries, injuries with your nails, bad habits of biting hard surfaces, sharp edges of fillings or teeth, a hard toothbrush and excessive pressure on it during tooth brushing.
Caries, provoking the disease by a constant inflammatory process.
Orthodontic bite correction. Forced movement of teeth can provoke thinning of the bone tissue of the tooth.
Injuries during the treatment of caries, because with deep carious injuries, a part of the tooth may be injured with further necrosis.
TYPES OF GUM RECESSION
Gum recession has different types depending on the severity, location and causes of the disease:
Generalized, spreading to several teeth.
Local, spreading to one tooth.
Traumatic, caused by external factors.
Physiological, caused by tissue aging.
Hidden, which can be detected by probing.
Visible, visible on visual inspection.
SYMPTOMS OF GUM RECESSION
Gum recession has general and specific symptoms. Common symptoms include:
Caries disease.
Increased sensitivity of teeth to temperature changes.
Exposed tooth roots.
Changing the edges of the gum.
Specific symptoms include:
Chronic gingivitis.
Suppuration in the gums.
Looseness of teeth.
Pale gum color.
Bleeding and inflammation of the gums.
Dental deposits.
DIAGNOSIS OF GUM RECESSION
Diagnosis of this pathological dental condition is not difficult. Mainly, the dentist makes a diagnosis based on a visual picture. It is enough to conduct a simple examination to diagnose the aesthetic defect of the recession in the form of exposure of a part of the root of the tooth.
TREATMENT OF GUM RECESSION
Gum recession is treated, as a rule, by a surgical method, by which the exposed part of the root is covered with soft tissues of the mucous membranes.
