General Information About Receding Gums

It's not like there isn't enough to worry about in regards to oral hygiene without adding in the threat of receding gums. Thousands of people every year are diagnosed with this common dental threat. In order to have better control of your dental health, it is important to be aware of receding gums, what causes them, how to prevent it, and some steps to take to reduce the damage if it does happen to you.

• symptoms of receding gums
• cause of gum problems
• preventative measures

The symptoms of receding gums begin a little differently for everyone. For some people it happens quickly, while others may notice a twinge here and there before this common dental problem really makes its presence known. The first thing a patient will notice is a slight discomfort on the gums. It usually is isolated to one or two areas at least in the beginning. The discomfort is felt when you are brushing your teeth, eating hard foods like raw carrots, and especially during flossing. The pain continues and the patient will notice that the gum is pulling away from the teeth and bleeding often occurs from the damaged gum site. Overall, receding gums aren't a pleasant situation and should be avoided at all costs.

The reasons receding gums occur are very simple. It's either a case of trauma to the tooth or teeth, or gum disease. Trauma could include things like a blow to the mouth or even getting food, like a popcorn kernel stuck between the tooth and the gum. Receding gums are much more likely to be the result of gum disease however. Gum disease is caused by bacteria gone wild in the mouth and is fairly common. Though often mild enough not to be noticed, gum disease affects more adults than it doesn't. Obviously when receding gums are the result the disease has progressed past the point of being harmless.

The most effective steps in preventing your gums from receding are to maintain an effective dental hygiene routine. That includes brushing your teeth at least twice a day and fitting flossing into your schedule. Eating healthy, natural foods helps too. You are ensuring that your body has the nutrients it needs to fight off the negative effects of the bacteria.

You don't have to live with receding gums. Using an all natural product like OraMD® instead of commercial toothpaste is a positive step in the right direction. Take care of the problem now, before you are forced to deal with bleeding receding gums.