Frequently asked questions

If your gums are receding, there are two possible situations:

On the one hand, advanced periodontitis can cause the gum margin to recede. Periodontitis itself is an inflammatory disease caused by bacterial plaque. If periodontitis is not treated, the loss of the structures holding the teeth continues below the gum margin. In periodontitis, the initial loss of these structures is not visible. Only when periodontitis is further advanced does the gum margin recede, and you may notice this as receding gums because the root surfaces of the teeth have been exposed and become visible.

On the other hand, not all receding gums are caused by periodontitis. You could therefore be suffering from gingival recession. This could, for example, have been caused by brushing your teeth too forcefully. The great force of the toothbrush repeatedly injures the gum margin. Each time it heals, it recedes a little further until the tooth root underneath is exposed. Even if you change your oral hygiene and clean your teeth with less force, the gingival recession will remain and the gum margin will not grow back to its original position.

Ultimately, only an examination in the dental practice can give you the correct answer.

Not every gingival recession needs to be treated. In people without periodontitis, if the recession is detected early at the annual dental check-up, oral hygiene can already be corrected and optimised accordingly. The gum margin and its recession will remain, but it will no longer be exposed to new influences (e.g. the scrubbing of the toothbrush).

For those who experience discomfort when consuming cold food or drinks, adjusting their diet accordingly and regularly applying so-called fluoride gels can help to reduce the discomfort somewhat.

If the discomfort persists or the appearance is disturbing, treatment with a surgical procedure may be considered. In this procedure, the gum margin of the affected teeth is moved back to its original position.

Furthermore, exposed tooth necks that also show loss of tooth hard substance may be restored with a filling material.

Ultimately, only an examination in the dental practice and, if necessary, a consultation with a specialist in periodontology can give you the correct answer.

People often do not notice their own gingival recession. More than 50 percent of adults have at least one tooth with gingival recession. Most of the affected teeth cause no symptoms.

If the recession is not visible, for example at home in the mirror, an examination in the dental practice can clarify whether it is present.

It is important for those affected to know where their gingival recession is, so that further damage can be prevented there. Because gingival recession that is not treated surgically remains for life, particular care must be taken, especially in old age, to prevent unwanted root caries on the exposed tooth necks.

In a first conversation, the dentist establishes whether you are exposed to any risk factors. Known risk factors for gingival recession are: an incorrect toothbrushing technique, thin gums, orthodontic treatment, smoking, smokeless tobacco (snus) or a piercing.

In addition, the dentist or dental hygienist will carry out a so-called basic periodontal examination, which takes only a few minutes. Using a gum probe (periodontal probe), the penetration depth at the gum margin is measured gently and to the nearest millimetre at selected sites. Precise clinical probing with the periodontal probe to measure the gum margins and locate the jawbone to the nearest millimetre is indispensable for diagnosing gingival recession.

After this short examination, further investigations are carried out only if signs of loss of the structures holding the teeth have been found. These investigations include what is known as a periodontal chart and additional X-rays.

If the gingival recession is not yet too advanced, the original condition can be restored with a surgical procedure.

Gingival recession is classified into four different degrees of severity. Depending on the degree of severity, however, only a limited range of treatment options is available.

A simple recession is present when the receding gum margin has not yet reached the movable oral mucosa. In the second degree of severity, the recession has already extended into the movable mucosa. In both cases, the gum margin can be corrected with a surgical procedure.

Because in degrees 3 and 4 jawbone between the teeth has also already been lost, gingival recession in these cases cannot be fully corrected even with surgical measures.

After gum treatment, long-term success over several years is only ensured if patients practise optimal oral hygiene at home and thereby prevent, every day, gingival recession from developing or their gums from becoming inflamed due to new bacterial plaque.

For optimal long-term success, it is also important to maintain continuous professional long-term care with the dental hygienist or prophylaxis assistant, so that any recurring problems can be detected and dealt with in good time.

After gum treatment, long-term success over several years is only ensured if patients practise optimal oral hygiene at home and thereby prevent, every day, gingival recession from developing or their gums from becoming inflamed due to new bacterial plaque.

For optimal long-term success, it is also important to maintain continuous professional long-term care with the dental hygienist or prophylaxis assistant, so that any recurring problems can be detected and dealt with in good time.

Gingival recession is often confused with periodontitis, because in both cases the teeth look longer than usual. However, there are important differences between the two that should be borne in mind:

On the one hand, gingival recession refers to receding gums on the outer side of the dentition, which is usually visible to the naked eye. In such cases, those affected do not additionally suffer from periodontitis.

On the other hand, periodontitis, i.e. inflammation of the structures supporting the teeth, can also cause the gum margin to recede at an advanced stage. Only an examination in the dental practice can make clear to those affected which cause is responsible for their receding gums.

In addition, after the treatment of periodontitis, receding gums are observed not only on the outer side of the dentition but all around the tooth. In such cases, however, this is desirable, because the shrinking of the gum margin allows the unwanted gum pockets to be reduced.