Gum health

Teeth looking longer? Here’s what receding gums mean.

What causes gum recession, which cases just need watching, and when treatment makes sense.

Get Your Gums Checked Call (425) 776-8353

What is gum recession?

Gum recession is the gradual pulling back of gum tissue, exposing more of the tooth and eventually the root underneath. Teeth start to look longer, you might feel a small notch or ledge at the gumline, and cold drinks suddenly have opinions about that one spot. It’s common, it develops slowly, and it’s very manageable when caught early.

The exposed root is the part that matters. Roots have thinner protection than the crown of the tooth, so they’re more sensitive to temperature and more vulnerable to decay and wear.

Why are my gums receding?

Several causes, and often more than one at once:

Brushing too hard

The most counterintuitive cause: scrubbing with a stiff brush wears gum tissue away over years. Healthy brushing is thorough and gentle, with a soft brush.

Gum disease

Periodontitis breaks down the tissue and bone that hold gums in place, and receding gums are one of its calling cards. If your gums also bleed or feel puffy, start with the signs of gum disease and how gum disease is treated.

Grinding and clenching

The forces from grinding flex teeth at the gumline and stress the surrounding tissue.

Genetics

Some people simply have thinner gum tissue, and recession can run in families.

Orthodontic history and tobacco

Teeth moved through thin tissue and tobacco use in any form both raise the odds.

Can receding gums grow back?

On their own, no. Gum tissue that has receded stays where it is, and any product promising to regrow it at home is overpromising. The encouraging part: recession can almost always be stopped from getting worse, and for tissue that’s already lost, gum grafting rebuilds coverage over the exposed root. That combination, halt the cause and rebuild where needed, is the honest version of “fixing” receding gums.

What treatments actually help?

Treatment matches the cause and the depth:

Monitoring

Mild recession that’s stable often needs nothing more than measurements at your regular checkups to confirm it’s staying put.

Fixing the cause

A softer brush and lighter touch, a night guard for grinding, or treating active gum disease. This is the step that stops progression, and it’s part of the periodontal care we provide in-house.

Gum grafting

For recession deep enough to expose the root or cause daily sensitivity, a graft covers the root with your own tissue. It’s a smaller procedure than most people expect, done with local anesthetic in a single visit.

When should you see a dentist about it?

Book an exam if you notice any of these: new or growing sensitivity to cold, a visible root or yellowish band at the gumline, a notch you can feel with a fingernail, or one tooth that suddenly looks longer than its neighbors.

Recession moves slowly, so an early measurement is what turns it into a non-event. If you’re in the Edmonds area, we’ll measure it, tell you plainly whether it needs treatment or just watching, and put any recommended next step in writing.

Receding gums questions, answered

Usually it’s a slow, manageable condition rather than an emergency. It becomes serious when the root is exposed enough to decay or when gum disease is driving it, which is why measuring it early matters.

You can stop making it worse: switch to a soft brush, lighten your grip, and take grinding seriously. What home care can’t do is diagnose the cause or rebuild lost tissue, so pair the habit changes with an exam.

By itself, rarely. Untreated gum disease behind the recession is the real threat to teeth, since it also erodes the bone underneath.

Single-tooth recession usually points to a local cause: a bite that lands hard on that tooth, a rough brushing habit on one side, or thin tissue over that root. It’s a useful clue, and worth showing to your dentist.

Recession caught early is a measurement, a habit change, and done. One exam tells you which kind yours is.

Get Your Gums Checked

Or call (425) 776-8353