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Treating Gum Recession
Treating gum recession must be your top priories. Because untreated gum rescission can lead to tooth lose and other issues. Have you noticed that your gums do not look quite the same recently? Are you losing the gum around your teeth? This is a condition that is known as gum recession; in fact, nearly one in every two people have gum recession or some type of periodontal disease.
Why Does Gum Recession Occur?
There are quite a few reasons that a patient may experience gum recession, but some of the most common reasons that this can occur include:
- Your Age – The older you get, the higher your chances of getting gum recession will become. Studies have shown that every decade, your chances of gum recession increases by almost four percent. In addition, some medications that you may need to take as you get older can cause changes in your teeth such as gum recession.
- Poor Oral Hygiene – Have you ever been told that you need to use a hard bristle toothbrush to clean your teeth properly? Well, this is something that can cause gum recession. Plaque is a soft substance, so you do not need hard bristles or excess pressure to remove it from your teeth.
- Grinding Your Teeth – As you are most likely aware of, grinding and clenching your teeth can cause a lot of issues with your jaw and your teeth in general. Did you know that it can also cause issues with your gums? When you clench your teeth, you put a lot of pressure on them. Since the enamel that is closest to your gums is thinner, it can easily chip with this added pressure. Once the enamel begins to chip, gum recession typically follows.
- Lifestyle Choices – There are things in life that you can do that present an oral health risk to your gums. One of these things is smoking. Many people consider the fact that smoking leads to things like throat and mouth cancer, but it can also cause less extreme conditions such as bad breath and gum recession. Tongue and lip piercings can also cause abrasions in your mouth, which can lead to gum recession.
Effective Ways for Treating Gum Recession
There are a few treatment options that you can consider for gum recession. However, the one that your dentist recommends is going to depend on the severity of your condition. Some of the more common treatments that Dr. Vafa oofers include:
- Gingival Grafting – This is a traditional treatment. However, it is not the most advanced option available to you today. With this treatment, Dr. Vafa will pull the tissue to replace your gums from another part of the mouth, but it is typically a successful procedure.
- Vista Technique – This is a procedure that is not very invasive at all. In fact, a small incision with minimal stitching is all that is required for this option. The gums are typically placed in the correct position and then filled with grafts taken from the palate of the patient.
- Pinhole Technique – Instead of making small incisions in the gums of the patient, Dr. Vafa completes the procedure through small pinholes.
- Gumdrop Technique – This method does not require incisions either, but instead of filling in the gums, the blood of the patient is used to encourage the gums to grow. This may not always be an option, but it one that is often considered because it can help bring your gums back to their natural state.
Deciding Which Treatment is Best for You
If you are experiencing gum recession, you need to know the treatment options that are available to you. Not every type of treatment is going to be the optimal option for every level of gum recession. Therefore, it is important to talk to your dentist to find out which option is best for you. Even though one treatment sounds like it will work for you, there may be something available that is less in less invasive with a higher success rate. Call today to learn more about the treatments that Dr. Vafa offers at his Beverly Hills dental practice. You may call (310) 201-9001 for a consultation. In addition, you can also easily schedule a consultation on our website.