Do you grind your teeth at night? You may not realize it, but this common habit can cause serious damage to your teeth and gums. In fact, teeth grinding can lead to gum recession, which can ultimately affect the health of your entire mouth.
When you grind your teeth, it puts a lot of pressure on them. This pressure can promote gum recession, which can lead to gum disease over time. Teeth grinding can cause the jaw muscles to tense up. This stress can put a lot of strain on the gum tissue, causing gum recession.
Most people grind their teeth without even realizing it. However, if you do it frequently, you may be causing gum recession. Let’s explore the reasons why teeth grinding leads to gum recession and what you can do to prevent it.
What is Teeth Grinding?
When a person grinds or clenches their teeth without control, it’s known as bruxism. It may happen when someone is awake or asleep, causing jaw stiffness and headaches. Teeth grinding, in the long run, can wreak havoc on your teeth, gums, and jaw joints. During a dental checkup, a dentist can identify bruxism. There are multiple reasons for teeth grinding and clenching: gum recession, receding gums, gum disease, broken or damaged teeth, and stress. Since bruxism can be caused by multiple factors, it’s important to find the correct diagnosis.
What is Bruxism?
The medical term for teeth grinding is bruxism. It usually occurs during sleep but it also happens when you grind your teeth while awake, which might happen if you feel stress or anxiety, or if you clench your jaw while concentrating on something like a math problem. Teeth grinding doesn’t only affect the teeth; it can also cause gum recession and receding gums because of the strength needed to grind down teeth and bite against jaws together.
Sleep bruxism is a sort of sleep movement disorder. People who clench or grind their teeth at night are more prone to experience other sleep issues including snoring and breathing disturbances (sleep apnea). Mild bruxism does not always require treatment. However, in certain people, bruxism can be persistent and severe enough to induce jaw problems, headaches, damaged teeth, and other issues.
What Is Gum Recession?
Gum recession is the loss of gum tissue over time. This can occur as a result of gum disease, or from tooth-brushing habits that are too vigorous. When the gums recede, the roots of the teeth are exposed, which can cause dental sensitivity and gum disease. This is a significant risk of poor oral health, which may result in tooth loss. Depending on the degree of tissue loss, various therapies are available. The sooner a diagnosis and treatment are received, the better the result. The gum recession caused by teeth grinding is often the result of clenching and grinding your teeth while you sleep. Teeth grinding is a common symptom of sleep disorders such as bruxism and obstructive sleep apnea. These two conditions are known to increase the risk of gum recession and gum disease. If you are experiencing symptoms of either of these conditions, it is essential that you seek treatment.
What is the Leading Cause of Receding Gums?
Periodontal disease is the leading cause of gum recession which is a progressive gum infection that, if left untreated, can lead to tooth loss. Gum recession can also be caused by forceful tooth cleaning, teeth grinding (bruxism), and gum disease. If periodontal disease isn’t addressed, it can lead to tooth loss and gum recession.
Can Receding Gums Grow Back?
Gums that have receded will not regrow. If your gums are harmed, for example, by periodontitis, the most severe type of gum disease, receding gums can’t develop back. Even though receding gums can’t be reversed, there are treatments that may help to prevent the condition from getting worse. Receding gums can be treated with gum grafting or gum flap surgery. Gum grafts can help to stimulate gum tissue growth, and gum flap surgery helps to cover the exposed root surface where gum tissue has receded. When gum recession is due to teeth grinding, it cannot be reversed, but gum treatment following a diagnosis of bruxism can prevent worsening of gum recession.
Treatment for Teeth Grinding
Bruxism is usually treated with a mouthguard that fits over your teeth to protect them from grinding. You also might need to see a dentist or doctor if you have other sleep disorders like obstructive sleep apnea, which can be treated with a special machine that helps you breathe at night. Preventing these two conditions is essential for preventing gum recession and gum disease.
Flap surgery is a surgical procedure that is used to cover the exposed root surfaces of teeth where gum recession has occurred. The gum flap surgery procedure involves lifting a thin piece of gum tissue and attaching it over the exposed root surfaces. This surgical procedure helps to protect the roots of the teeth from further damage, and it also helps to stimulate gum tissue growth. When gum recession is due to teeth grinding, it cannot be reversed, but gum treatment following a diagnosis of bruxism can prevent worsening of gum recession.
Gum grafting is a surgical treatment that replaces gum tissue that has been lost. The gum grafting procedure involves taking a piece of gum tissue from another area of the mouth and attaching it to the gum recession site. This surgical procedure helps to protect the roots of the teeth from further damage, and it also helps to stimulate gum tissue growth. When gum recession is due to teeth grinding, it cannot be reversed, but gum treatment following a diagnosis of bruxism can prevent worsening of gum recession.
Medication for gum recession may include antibiotics to fight infection, anti-inflammatory medications to reduce swelling, and periodontal scaling and root planing to remove the plaque and calculus from gum recession sites. A periodontist may prescribe other medications like gum stimulants, gum protectants, and gum tissue growth promoters.
What Happens if Your Gums Recede Too Much?
If gum recession progresses significantly, the bone and ligaments that support your teeth can also be lost. As the gum and connective tissues recede from the tooth, a gap develops between the tooth and gum, which begins to accumulate germs. Bacteria cause further irritation over time. This can lead to teeth becoming loose and eventually falling out.
So if you are having problems with gum recession, the first step is to get checked for bruxism and obstructive sleep apnea. If one of these conditions is causing your teeth to grind, it can be treated and that will help to stop the gum recession process. Talk to your doctor or dentist today about any gum recession problems you are having. They can help you to find the best treatment for you.
