Dental question about taxonomy:condition:receding-gums
Receding gums expose more tooth root and may result from gum disease, brushing trauma, tooth position, or local factors.
The short answer
Gum recession means the margin has moved toward the root, exposing cementum and sometimes dentine. Causes include periodontal attachment loss, forceful brushing, thin gum tissue, tooth position, a frenum pull, tobacco use, or local trauma.
What factors can cause the gum margin to recede?
Causes include periodontal attachment loss, forceful brushing, thin gum tissue, tooth position, a frenum pull, tobacco use, or local trauma. The dentist measures gum levels, pockets, bone support, and inflammation.
How should you clean along a receding gumline?
Use a soft brush with light pressure and clean carefully along the gumline. A desensitising toothpaste may help when advised.
Which changes in a receding gum need dental care?
Seek care for increasing recession, bleeding, pus, looseness, troublesome sensitivity, or a notched or darkening root surface.
What should you ask about monitoring receding gums?
Ask whether recession is stable, whether bone loss is present, and whether monitoring, periodontal care, or root-coverage surgery is appropriate.
Frequently asked questions
Can gums grow back?
Lost gum tissue usually does not regrow spontaneously, though selected defects may be surgically treated.
Is brushing always the cause?
No. Periodontal disease, tooth position, thin tissue, and trauma can contribute.
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Who wrote this page
This library is published by Dental Nation, a licensed dental group practising in the United Arab Emirates. Pages are written and overseen by the same clinical team that treats patients in our clinics, and are held to a fixed editorial standard for safety and accuracy.
This page is patient education, not medical advice, and cannot replace an examination. Anything urgent — facial swelling, trauma, uncontrolled bleeding or severe pain — needs a dentist or emergency care now.