Gum Recession: What Causes It and How It’s Treated

Gum recession is one of the few dental conditions that can progress significantly before a patient notices anything wrong. There’s no sudden pain, no obvious event — just a gradual shift that becomes apparent when teeth start looking longer, or when sensitivity to cold becomes harder to ignore.

By the time most people mention it, the recession has usually been developing for some time. Here’s what causes it, the early signs, and what treatment involves.

What Is Gum Recession?

Gum recession exposes the tooth root, which is protected by cementum rather than enamel, making it more susceptible to sensitivity and decay.

Once gum tissue recedes, it doesn’t grow back on its own. The goal of treatment is to identify what’s driving the recession, prevent it from progressing, and restore lost tissue where the exposure is sufficient to warrant it.

Common Causes

Aggressive brushing

One of the most common causes — and one patients are often surprised by. Brushing with a firm toothbrush or applying too much pressure gradually wears away gum tissue at the margin.

The damage accumulates slowly over years, which is why patients who’ve always considered themselves thorough brushers are sometimes the ones most affected.

Gum disease

Periodontal disease destroys the tissues and bone that support the teeth. As the infection progresses below the gumline, the gums pull back. Recession from gum disease often affects multiple teeth at once and tends to come with other signs — bleeding, swelling, or persistent bad breath.

Teeth grinding

Bruxism places sustained force on the teeth and surrounding structures. Over time, this contributes to recession, particularly in patients who grind at night without realising it. A worn bite, cracked teeth, or morning jaw soreness are often the first clues.

Genetics

Some people have thinner gum tissue than others. Even with good oral hygiene and no gum disease, genetically thin gums are more prone to recession — particularly where teeth sit toward the outer edge of the jaw.

Smoking

Tobacco reduces the blood supply to your gums, making it harder for them to heal and recover from damage or infection. Smokers are at significantly higher risk of both gum disease and recession, and their gums respond less effectively to treatment.

Symptoms and Signs

Because recession is gradual, early signs are easy to miss or attribute to something else:

• Tooth sensitivity — particularly to cold drinks, cold air, or sweet foods. Often the first thing patients notice.
• Teeth that look longer — as the gumline drops, more of the tooth becomes visible.
• Visible root surface — the area below the gumline has a different colour and texture to the enamel above it, appearing more yellow and feeling rougher.
• A notch at the gumline — a small groove where the gum meets the tooth, sometimes felt with the tongue before it becomes visible.

If you’ve noticed any of these, it’s worth having your gums assessed rather than monitoring at home.

Why Early Treatment Matters

Recession left untreated creates a compounding set of problems. The exposed root surface decays more easily than enamel and more quickly than most patients expect.

Root cavities are harder to treat and, in advanced cases, can threaten the long-term viability of the tooth. Sensitivity that starts as occasional sharpness can become persistent enough to affect eating and drinking.

Where recession is driven by gum disease, bone loss continues alongside tissue loss. As the structures supporting the tooth deteriorate, teeth can loosen and eventually require extraction.

Treatment Options

Treatment is matched to the cause and the degree of recession present.

Correcting brushing technique

Where aggressive brushing is a contributing factor, switching to a soft-bristled toothbrush and adjusting brushing technique can prevent further damage. This won’t restore tissue that’s already receded, but it removes a key driver of ongoing recession. Your Campbelltown dentist or hygienist can demonstrate the correct angle and pressure during an appointment.

Professional clean

If plaque and tartar buildup along or below the gumline is driving inflammation, a scale and clean removes the deposits home brushing can’t reach. For patients with periodontitis, scaling and root planing debrides subgingival plaque and calculus while root surface debridement reduces bacterial recolonisation and promotes periodontal healing.

Gum graft

Where recession has exposed a significant portion of the root — causing persistent sensitivity or aesthetic concern — if you’ve lost gum tissue, a gum graft is often the best way to replace it and protect the exposed tooth root. A small amount of tissue, typically taken from the roof of the mouth, is sutured to the affected area.

This covers the exposed root, reduces sensitivity, and stops further recession at that site. Most patients find recovery more manageable than they anticipated and are back to normal eating within one to two weeks.

Your Campbelltown dentist will assess which approach — or combination — is appropriate based on what’s driving the recession and how far it has progressed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can receding gums grow back without treatment?

No. Once gum tissue has receded, it doesn’t regenerate on its own. We can stop further recession through improved home care and professional treatment, and restore lost tissue with a gum graft where indicated.

Is gum recession always obvious?

Not in the early stages. Recession often develops without pain, and the visual changes are subtle enough that many patients don’t notice until a dentist points it out at a check-up. Regular examinations matter — recession caught early is significantly easier to manage.

How do I know if I’m brushing too hard?

Toothbrush bristles that fray before the three-month mark are a reliable indicator. So is recession, which is most pronounced on the outer surfaces of the teeth — the side facing the cheek — where brushing pressure tends to be highest. An electric toothbrush with a pressure sensor removes the guesswork.

What does a gum graft involve?

The procedure is done under local anaesthetic. A small amount of tissue is taken from the palate and sutured to the area of recession. The site heals over a few weeks. Most patients manage discomfort with standard over-the-counter pain relievers and return to normal eating within 1 to 2 weeks.

Does recession affect people of all ages?

It’s more common in adults, but younger patients aren’t immune — particularly those with aggressive brushing habits, thin gum tissue, or teeth that have been moved outside the natural arch through orthodontic treatment.

Gum Health in Campbelltown

If you’ve noticed sensitivity, longer-looking teeth, or visible root surfaces, get your gums assessed before the recession progresses further.

At A Plus Dental, we see patients from across the Macarthur region — including Leumeah, Ingleburn, and Glen Alpine.

Call us on (02) 4627 3833 or book online.

Visit us at Suite 3/300 Queen Street, Campbelltown.