My gums are receding – why is it happening, and what can I do about it? Receding gums (gingival recession) is the diminishing of the soft and delicate gum tissue, leading to the exposure of the roots with time. Gums generally start to recede around a person’s 40s, but sometimes this process can start as early as the teens. This common gum condition is among the most common indicators of periodontitis (periodontal disease, gum disease, or gingivitis).

The causes of receded gums include:

- Brushing aggressively with a hard-bristled brush, which may cause erosion of the enamel at the gum line.

- Periodontitis.

- Irregular brushing and/or flossing, which allows bacteria / plaque to buildup, resulting in enzymes of these microorganisms deteriorating the teeth.

- Tobacco chewing, this affects the lining of the mucus membrane and causes receding of the gum lines over time.

- Teeth grinding (Bruxism), which may cause the gum lines to start pulling back on its own.

- Lip and tongue piercing, which may wear away the gum where the piercing rubs against it.

- SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate), an irritating ingredient that can be found in most toothpaste.

The loss of the gum tissue happens over time, and is often hard to spot. Some symptoms that may warn you about the receding of the gum include:

- Your teeth have become sensitive to cold, hot, sour, sweet, or spicy foods (this happens due to the exposure of the dentin tubules).

- Your teeth have started to appear longer than they used to be.

- The roots of your teeth seem to be exposed.

- Your teeth have started to look yellow at their roots (this is because cementum is different in color in comparison to the tooth enamel).

- Your teeth may seem to have larger spaces between them (this is because the gum line is no longer covering these spaces anymore).

- You have tooth cavities, which are located below your gum lines.

In cases when receding gums have gingivitis as their root cause, there may also be present the following symptoms:

- Inflamed/swollen/red gums.

- Bleeding while flossing or brushing.

- Chronic bad breath.

Any symptoms that you may be noticing have to serve you as a call to action, and it’s yet better to start acting before you see any disturbing signs of a gum disease. Proper oral care (brushing your teeth twice per day with a soft-bristle brush, flossing your teeth and rinsing your mouth), as well as regular cleaning of the teeth at the dentist’s office, will help you to avoid most of the gums disorders, and to improve the condition of the existing ones.

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