Receding Gums

Gum recession is the gradual movement of the gum margin away from the crown of the tooth, exposing part of the root surface. It is very common — many adults have at least one area of recession — and it can contribute to sensitivity, root-surface decay and a longer-toothed appearance. Treatment for receding gums in London at our Wimpole Street practice begins not with a procedure, but with a diagnosis: understanding why your gums are receding.

Signs that may suggest recession include teeth that look longer than they used to, notches you can feel at the gum line, sensitivity to cold or sweet foods, and gums that appear thin or uneven. These signs can have several explanations, so they are not diagnostic on their own — but they are worth having assessed, particularly if the change seems to be progressing.

Common contributing causes include over-vigorous or abrasive brushing, thin gum tissue that some people simply inherit, gum disease, tooth grinding and clenching, the position of teeth in the jaw, and occasionally lip or tongue piercings. Orthodontic movement can also play a role in susceptible tissue. Frequently, more than one factor operates at once, which is why a careful assessment matters more than jumping to treatment.

Assessment at our Marylebone practice involves measuring each area of recession, charting gum thickness and attachment, screening for gum disease with a BPE, checking your brushing technique and tools, and looking for signs of grinding. Photographs give us a baseline, because the single most useful question in recession is: is it stable, or is it progressing? Suitability for any treatment is confirmed in person with a GDC-registered dentist.

For most patients, management comes first. That means removing or reducing the cause — softer brushing with a technique we demonstrate, a night guard if grinding is a factor, periodontal treatment if disease is present — plus protecting the exposed roots. Desensitising varnishes and, where roots are worn or vulnerable, tooth-coloured bonding over the exposed surface can make a real difference to comfort and appearance.

Where recession is deeper, progressing, or aesthetically significant, gum grafting can rebuild coverage. This involves surgically adding tissue — usually taken from the palate or using a substitute material — over the exposed root. We refer grafting cases to experienced periodontal colleagues where that offers you the best outcome, and we are candid that grafting is not needed, or predictable, in every situation. Root coverage results vary with the anatomy of each site.

Costs are quoted after consultation, because they depend entirely on the route: monitoring and preventive care sit at the modest end, bonding is charged per tooth, and grafting — where referred — is quoted by the treating specialist. Whatever the plan, you will receive a written, itemised quote before anything begins, and monitoring alone is often the honest recommendation for stable, mild recession.

It helps to be realistic about limitations. Gum tissue does not regrow by itself, and even successful grafting cannot always achieve full root coverage, particularly where bone between the teeth has been lost. Untreated progressive recession may put the affected teeth at greater risk over time, but many mild cases, once the cause is addressed, remain stable for years. Individual results vary.

Aftercare centres on protecting what you have: gentle, effective brushing with a soft brush, interdental cleaning, wearing a night guard if prescribed, and regular reviews where we re-measure the recession against your baseline photographs. If gum disease contributed, remember that periodontal disease is managed, not cured — maintenance is lifelong, and your hygiene visits are part of the treatment.

Brushing technique deserves particular attention, because it is one of the few causes entirely within your control. Recession linked to brushing tends to appear on the cheek-side surfaces of the more prominent teeth — often the canines and premolars — and is frequently paired with a scrubbing action, a firm-bristled brush or heavy pressure. At your visit we watch how you brush, then coach a gentler technique: a soft or electric brush with a pressure sensor, small controlled movements, and letting the bristles do the work. Many patients find that alone is enough to halt further change at the affected sites, which is why we treat technique as a treatment in its own right.

Patients sometimes ask whether exposed roots are more vulnerable to decay, and the answer is yes — root surfaces are covered by softer material than enamel, so they can decay more readily, particularly in a mouth with frequent sugar exposure or reduced saliva. That is one reason recession is worth managing even when it does not bother you cosmetically. Practical protection includes a fluoride toothpaste used correctly, attention to snacking frequency, and in some cases high-fluoride prescription toothpaste or in-surgery fluoride varnish applied to the exposed surfaces at your reviews.

For those anxious about being pushed towards surgery, it may be reassuring to know how rarely grafting is actually the recommendation. In our experience, the majority of recession cases seen at our Wimpole Street practice are managed with cause control, monitoring and, where needed, desensitising care or bonding. Grafting is reserved for cases where the evidence of progression or the depth of recession justifies it, and even then it is discussed as an option with realistic expectations rather than presented as inevitable.

Where cosmetic appearance is the main concern — typically a front tooth that looks noticeably longer than its neighbours — there are gentler options than surgery worth knowing about. Carefully placed tooth-coloured composite at the exposed root, or gum-shaded composite in selected cases, can visually rebalance a smile in a single visit, and these approaches are reversible and repairable. They do not replace lost tissue, and suitability varies with the site and your bite, but for many patients they offer a proportionate answer to a largely cosmetic problem, with the option of grafting kept in reserve.

The practice sits in Marylebone, central London, within easy walking distance of Bond Street, Oxford Circus and Regent’s Park underground stations. Because recession care is built around periodic reviews rather than intensive treatment, most patients simply fold their monitoring visits into a routine trip into town — a small, manageable commitment that keeps a slow-moving condition properly watched and gives you reliable evidence, year on year, about whether anything is actually changing.

Patients choose our central London practice, near Harley Street, for recession care because the value lies in continuity — the same team measuring the same sites year after year, intervening only when the evidence says it is needed. If you have noticed your gums receding, an assessment at our Wimpole Street practice will establish the cause, the stability and the sensible next step, with no pressure towards surgery you may not need.