Gum infection (periodontitis) is a common condition that leads to receding gums. Gum deterioration occurs when chronic infection affects the tissues and bones around the teeth. Many people ask “Can receding gums grow back?” because receding gums not only look unhealthy, but also unattractive. The good news is that you can try to improve oral hygiene to stop gums from receding and there are other ways to stimulate its growth. More importantly, ask your dentist about gum health.

Can Receding Gums Grow Back?

Gums are soft tissues that normally cover the bones holding the teeth in place as well as the roots of the teeth. Gums recede when they shrink and appear to be drawn back, resulting in the roots of the teeth becoming visible. This happens when gum infection is not treated, or when you brush your teeth aggressively. Other factors that could lead to gum recession include use of tobacco, hormonal changes and teeth grinding.

In mild cases, natural remedies may help improve receding gums. While it’s not likely to reverse receding gums (bring the gums back to the original place), you can do make things to prevent it from shrinking more. Severe cases must be seen and treated by a dentist for better results.

Natural Remedies to Reverse Receding Gums

1. Maintain Proper Dental Hygiene

Brush your teeth using gentle, not aggressive strokes, and circular motion. Avoid pushing the gums upward but gently brush them along gum lines to remove bacteria that cause gingivitis. Use a small-headed toothbrush with a soft bristles. You may use a motorized toothbrush, which has a smaller head and brushes in controlled motion. Regular flossing is also recommended, since it effectively removes plaque between teeth and around gums. Dentists recommend flossing and brushing after every meal to prevent gum disease.

2. Eat More Fruits and Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables contain a lot of nutrients such as vitamin C, which is important to maintain gum health. Vitamin C reduces inflammation from gum disease and promotes gum regeneration. Eat fresh fruits, such as strawberries and pineapple, and vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, and asparagus, which are vitamin-rich foods.

3. Use a Germicidal Mouth Rinse

Rinse your mouth with mouthwash containing a few drops of essential oils (peppermint, clove, or sage) for about one minute. When done regularly this can help control gum infection that causes receding gums. Water with hydrogen peroxide also works to reduce bacterial growth and promote dental health.

4. Drink Lots of Plain Water for Cleaning and Healing

You can also keep gums healthy by drinking plain water (even tap water) instead of sugary beverages. Use plain water to swish around the mouth after eating to remove particles of food that may be left between the teeth and gums. Repeat this procedure as often as you can to have a clean mouth and teeth and to promote healing of gums.

5. Try Oiling Pulling

Try this Ayurvedic technique called oil pulling, which is believed to reverse gum recession and to promote gum growth. Take one tablespoon of either sesame oil or virgin coconut oil and swish around in your mouth. Pull or suck the oil through your teeth for several minutes until it becomes white and thin. Spit out the oil and rinse your mouth with water. Do this thrice a day before meals.

6. More Remedies

Other ways to keep gums healthy and encourage them to grow back include taking supplements such as calcium for bone and dental health, ginkgo biloba to improve blood circulation, vitamin C , coenzyme Q10 to promote cell renewal, and zinc to enhance immunity.

Experts also recommend avoiding sugary beverages, processed foods, caffeine, alcohol, and food products made from white flour.

Watch a video for natural receding gums remedies:

Medical Treatments for Receding Gums

If your receding gums are due to mild periodontitis, your dentist may treat you by performing deep cleaning of your teeth, which involves root planing and tooth scaling to remove tartar and plaque on the tooth surfaces and beneath your gum line. Antibiotics may be used to kill harmful bacteria.

Severe gum recession with bone loss and deep pockets may require surgery to repair damage.

The following procedures may be used in treating gum recession:

1. Regeneration of Lost Bone

This procedureinvolves folding back gum tissue, removing bacteria and applying a material (a membrane, a tissue-stimulating protein or a graft tissue) used to regenerate gums and bone naturally. The gum is secured back over the root of your teeth.

2. Pocket Depth Reduction

This procedure involves folding back gum tissue, removing harmful bacteria from tooth pockets, and securing the gum back over tooth roots, to eliminate or reduce.

3. Soft Tissue Graft

This involvestissue grafting, that is, taking soft tissue from the roof of your mouth, which is sewn to the gum surrounding your exposed tooth root.

Your dentist will recommend the appropriate treatment, depending in the severity of your gum problem. You can refer to the webmd website for more details of surgeries on receding gums:

http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/receding_gums_causes-treatments?page=2