Your Gums Are Shrinking. Here's What ACTUALLY Stops It

Overview

The video explains why gums recede, what may slow or prevent further recession, and when treatments such as gum grafts may be considered. The presenter emphasizes that receded gums generally do not grow back on their own, but addressing the cause can help prevent further recession.

What Gum Recession Can Cause

A tooth’s visible crown is covered in enamel, while its root is normally protected by gum and bone. When the root becomes exposed, it is more vulnerable: it is softer than enamel and can be more prone to wear and cavities. Tiny channels in the root can also make cold air, cold drinks, or brushing feel sharply sensitive.

Possible signs of gum recession include:

• A tooth looking longer
• Sensitivity to cold or air
• A notch near the gumline
• Dark, triangular spaces between teeth where gum tissue has receded

Recession is often gradual. The presenter says it affects about half of adults on at least one tooth, and nearly nine in ten people by age 65.

Why Gums Usually Do Not Grow Back

The presenter compares gum tissue to grass on a hillside, with the underlying bone acting like the soil that supports it. Small fibers attach the gum to the tooth and bone. When bone and supporting fibers are lost, the gum usually no longer has a foundation to move back up the tooth. This is why tissue taken from the palate for a graft may heal, while gum tissue over a tooth does not typically return on its own.

A deep cleaning may make teeth look longer because inflamed, swollen gums shrink as the infection improves. This does not necessarily mean the cleaning caused new recession.

The presenter also describes a three-year study in which recession decreased by about half a millimeter in some people who simply brushed normally. One proposed explanation was that participants brushed more gently while being observed. The change was small and should not be taken as proof that substantial recession regrows naturally.

What May Cause or Contribute to Recession

• Brushing too hard: Forceful brushing, side-to-side scrubbing, and stiff bristles can injure gums. Bristles that splay quickly may indicate excessive pressure.
• Gum disease: Plaque can harden into tartar, which brushing cannot remove. Bacteria and inflammation can damage supporting bone and allow gums to recede.
• Thin gums or bone: Some people are naturally more prone to recession.
• Tooth position: A tooth positioned far outside the surrounding teeth may have little bone covering its root and may be especially vulnerable.
• Lip piercings: Jewelry can repeatedly rub against the gum. The presenter cites research associating lip piercings with a substantially higher likelihood of recession.
• Braces or orthodontic movement: Moving teeth too far outside the bone may increase risk, particularly for people with thin gums. Moving a tooth back toward the bone may sometimes help, but the presenter cautions that a dramatic improvement reported in one case is not a general promise.
• Teeth grinding: The presenter says evidence that grinding alone causes recession is weak. Grinding can still wear or crack teeth, so a night guard may help protect them.

Steps to Slow or Prevent Further Recession

• Use a soft-bristled toothbrush, whether manual or electric.
• Brush gently, angling the brush about 45 degrees toward the gumline and using small movements. Let the bristles and toothpaste do the work rather than pressing hard.
• Replace the brush every three to four months, or sooner if its bristles splay. Early splaying is a cue to reduce pressure.
• Clean between teeth with floss, a water flosser, or another method you will use consistently.
• Arrange dental care if your gums bleed or you suspect gum disease. Professional cleaning removes tartar, which brushing cannot. More advanced disease may require scaling and root planing or care from a periodontist.
• Discuss recession before starting orthodontic treatment, especially if you already have thin gums or recession.

Products and Approaches Not Proven to Regrow Gums

• Oil pulling: Small, short-term studies have reported limited effects on plaque or bacteria, but the presenter says they did not demonstrate reversal of recession. He notes that the ADA does not recommend it as a proven way to improve oral health.
• Serums, gels, and supplements marketed for gum regrowth: The presenter says these do not restore gum tissue over an exposed root.
• Toothpastes labeled for gums: These may target gingivitis-related bacteria, bleeding, or inflammation, but they do not regrow lost gum tissue.

Gum Grafts and Other Specialist Treatments

If recession continues, the root is sensitive, or gum tissue is very thin, a periodontist may discuss a gum graft. Approaches described in the video include:

• Taking a small piece of tissue from the palate and placing it over or near the exposed root
• Using donor tissue from a tissue bank
• Using a newer technique that accesses the area through a small opening and repositions gum tissue

The presenter says patients generally go home the same day and heal in about one to two weeks. Some gum tissue may move farther over the root during the following year. Fully filling spaces between teeth can be harder when bone has also been lost.

The video also mentions a protein gel derived from developing pig teeth that a periodontist may apply during surgery to support reattachment. It is a surgical treatment, not an over-the-counter product.

Braces and Recession

Orthodontic movement can contribute to recession if teeth are pushed beyond the supporting bone, especially in people with thin gums. Some studies found more recession years later among people who had braces, though the presenter notes that retrospective studies have limitations. In other cases, moving a tooth toward the bone may improve recession.

People considering braces who already have recession or thin gums should raise the issue with their orthodontist before treatment.

Speakers and Sources

• Speaker: The narrator identifies himself as an orthodontist. The channel metadata identifies him as Dr. Ben Winters.
• Sources mentioned: The American Dental Association (ADA); unnamed studies on brushing and recession, oil pulling, gum graft techniques, orthodontics, and lip piercings; and an unnamed dentist who fact-checked a claim about coconut oil and gum disease.
• Other dental professionals discussed: Periodontists are described as specialists who assess gum disease and perform grafts, but no individual periodontist is identified as a speaker.