One Out of Two Adults Over 30 Have Gum Disease

What are receding gums?

The term “receding gums” means that some of the gum tissue surrounding your teeth has worn away, exposing more of the tooth and the tooth’s root. Receding gums are usually a sign of gum disease, and it means that gum disease has been active in your mouth for quite awhile.

What causes gum disease?

Bacteria in tooth plaque is the number one cause of gum disease. Toxins produced by the bacteria, as well as good enzymes that the body produces to fight infection, can start to break down the bone and tissue that hold the tooth in place.

Other factors that may cause gum disease include hormonal changes, illness, smoking, grinding your teeth, taking certain medications or poor oral hygiene.

Why is gum disease a problem?

The problem is that as the gum recession occurs, small pockets can form around the gumline and tooth. These tiny spaces between teeth and gums collect debris and can become infected.

If this goes untreated, then the tissue and bone structure of the teeth can be damaged. This can lead to tooth loss. In fact, gum disease is the #1 cause of adult tooth loss. Gum disease is very common. According to the CDC, one out of every two adults aged 30 years or older has periodontal (gum) disease.

What are the symptoms of gum disease?

Gum recession occurs gradually. Many people don’t even notice it’s happening. The first symptom may be tooth sensitivity. Other people may notice that their teeth look longer than normal. Have you ever heard of the term “long in the tooth”? This comes from the fact that in the past, many people had untreated gum disease and their teeth grew “longer” over time.

Other symptoms of gum disease include persistent bad breath or gums that bleed during or after tooth brushing.

What treatments are there?

In the past, gum recession could only be treated surgically through an invasive gum graft procedure involving scalpels, sutures, and a slow, painful healing process.

But happily, there are now other options. We are proud to offer a new procedure called the Pinhole Surgical Technique, which is only offered by 550 doctors worldwide and can fix gum recession permanently. The one to two hour minimally-invasive procedure corrects the gumline without incisions, sutures, or gum grafts. At our practice, we can correct 10-14 teeth per procedure, with three teeth requiring 20 minutes of treatment. Patients can return to work the next day.

Gum recession is not something to ignore. If you think your gums are receding, come see us. It’s best to treat a problem right away before it requires more extensive dental treatment, which won’t fare well for your smile or pocketbook. In just one visit, we can repair the gumline and restore the health of your smile.

Have a question? Ask Dr. Mantis at mantisdentistry@gmail.com.

In practice since 1987, Dr. Dino Mantis has extensive experience and expertise in restorative and cosmetic dentistry, sedation dentistry, family dentistry, orthodontics, implants and more. He has received advanced training from some of the top names in the field of dentistry. Mantis Dentistry & Implant Center is located at 1625 N. Sheridan Road in Wilmette, Illinois and serves the Evanston, Wilmette and North Shore area. For more information, visit drdinomantis.com or call 847-512-7990.