Because receding gums are so unsightly and hard to treat in and of themselves, it is often difficult to remember that they are often a symptom of a larger and more potentially debilitating oral health problem. The fact of the matter is that disease receding gums are more common than you might think, and the most common diseases that contribute to gums receding over the course of a person’s life are gingivitis (gum disease) and periodontal disease. Many people believe that the two diseases are one and the same, but they are not.

While disease receding gums are quite similar, they actually each have their own unique set of symptoms, causes, treatments and potential complications. It just so happens that each or either can greatly contribute to receding gums. Gingivitis is perhaps the most commonly recognized oral health disease, and it is a disease that involves the infection of the gums. It is generally triggered by poor oral health practices, and can cause an excess of unpleasant and unattractive symptoms, including receding gums. The symptoms of gingivitis often include red or inflamed gums, bleeding of the gums, visible infection (actual visible pus in some cases) along the gum line, and terrible and chronic bad breath.

Periodontal disease, while initially similar to gingivitis, is actually a disease that involves the inflammation of the periodontium, which is the tissues that support and surround the teeth themselves, holding them securely in the mouth. As it advances, periodontal disease can cause a loss of actual bone tissue. As you may guess, teeth become loose and even fall out without the bone and other tissue that is designed to hold them in place. This disease is actually caused by bacteria that grow and reproduce on the surface of the teeth, as well as the body’s immune response to these bacteria, making it almost an auto-immune disorder. It is estimated that roughly 30-50% of American adults have some form of periodontal disease. Fortunately, only about 10% or so suffer from severe periodontal disease; however, for those people, severe periodontal disease can have an impact on virtually every aspect of their life.

Only a dentist can diagnose you as having gingivitis or periodontal disease, and only a dentist can draw up a comprehensive treatment course that prevents your receding gums from getting any worse, and perhaps even improve your condition and even reverse the receding of your gums.

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