immuneline

Apr 156 min read

Understanding Gum Recession From Integrative Physician: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

Girl does not show her smile because of reset gums

Gum recession is a common dental problem that affects many people, yet it often goes unnoticed until it becomes more severe. It can severely impact on your social well-being as everyone is looking for a beautiful smile and healthy looking gums. According to most sources gum recession is a chronic incurable condition that affects thousands yearly. If you start reading about it, the situation is nothing but depressing. "Cannot be cured", "slowly progressive", "eventually leads to the loss of bone and teeth", "the only treatment is surgical procedures". Aren't you glad you have that problem?

In this blog post, we will explore what gum recession is, its causes, symptoms, and treatment options.

What is Gum Recession?

Gum recession, also known as gingival recession, occurs when the gum tissue that surrounds the teeth wears away or pulls back, exposing more of the tooth and its root. This can lead to sensitivity, pain, and an increased risk of tooth decay and other dental issues.

But lets delve a bit deeper and take a look at the gums from integrative perspective.

I have previously discussed the origin and function of the gums in a previous post, so read more if you missed it.

I want to remind you that gum tissue is one of the fastest growing and regenerating in the body. It has a natural ability to stick to the tooth and adhere tightly. So, why would the gum get loose and pull back from a tooth? There is an obvious answer from an integrative specialist - because something inhibits it's regeneration so the gum becomes thinner and looses it's properties.

Symptoms of Gum Recession

Some common symptoms of gum recession include:

Exposed tooth roots: This can cause sensitivity to hot and cold temperatures.
Longer-looking teeth: As the gums recede, the teeth may appear longer than normal.
Pain or discomfort: Gum recession can cause pain or discomfort, especially when eating or brushing.

Sad rabbit as representation of reset gums

Is gum recession a separate mouth disease?

No, at least I do not believe it is. The reason gum is not growing is deeply rooted in the health of the whole gut and body. It is silly to believe that just harsh brushing would cause the gum to recede. Yes, there are some local factors and genetics that can contribute to the problem. But I have seen enough of my patients who did not have any of the commonly listed causes of the recession.

Gum recession cannot be a separate disease because gum tissue is a continuation of the gut mucosal lining. So, if there something is affecting entire gut it will certainly affect the gum. And when the intestinal lining is thinning such process will continue onto the gum tissue.

There are quite a few systemic problems that lead to gum recession that conventional dentists simply fail to see:

Celiac disease is one of the most common reasons ( Dental Manifestations and Celiac Disease - An Overview)
Food allergy and sensitivity
Leaky Gut
Chemical sensitivity to the dental materials (resins, metals etc.)
Chemical sensitivity to a toothpaste or a mouthwash
Mouth and gut dysbiosis (absence of good bacteria or microbiota)
Vitamin deficiency
Dry mouth

Causes of Gum Recession from Conventional Dentist:

There are several factors that can contribute to gum recession, according to conventional dentistry:

Poor oral hygiene: Not brushing and flossing regularly can lead to a buildup of plaque and tartar, which can irritate the gums and cause them to recede.
Genetics: Some people may be more predisposed to gum recession due to their genetic makeup.
Aggressive brushing: Brushing too hard or using a toothbrush with hard bristles can wear away the gum tissue.
Gum disease: Periodontal disease is a common cause of gum recession, as it can cause the gums to pull away from the teeth.
Smoking: Tobacco use can contribute to gum recession by affecting blood flow to the gums.

Truth is such "contribution" will not harm healthy gum, or it will recover overnight. So, here I will explain why real cause or a root of the problem is systemic.

Lets first address factors which maintain healthy gum tissue.

I believe it is impossible to effectively treat something if you do not understand how it works. It always surprises me when I discuss physiology with dentists, as it seems they may have overlooked that aspect of their education in dental school. It is astonishing that dentistry does not recognize the connection between the mouth and the rest of the body's systems. My dental education, which is part of general medicine, has provided me with a sufficient understanding of this connection. I would like to share my knowledge with you.

Good nutrition. The mucosal lining of the intestines requires fats, collagen, protein, and minerals to continuously rebuild tissue. It also needs a variety of vitamins and carbohydrates to generate enough energy for rapid reconstruction and to eliminate oxidative radical damage, which is high when consuming certain fast foods or soda.

Moisture and local nourishing. This function pertains to "mouth juice" or saliva. Saliva delivers mucin and local protective factors, while also preventing the gums from drying out. Saliva plays a significant role in protecting the intraoral structures against injuries caused by various pathogenic microbes, mechanical, or chemical irritants.

The functions of the saliva:
Defensive/buffering capacity
Remineralization of teeth
Restoration of soft tissues
Lubrication capacity
Digestion
Antimicrobial capacity

Saliva contains three buffer systems (bicarbonate, phosphate and protein) and helps in maintaining acceptable pH range of 6.0-7.5 within the mouth. (Saliva between normal and pathological. Important factors in determining systemic and oral health.J Med Life. 2009)

Regeneration rate. Now we are talking about all factors that affect organism's recovery and ability to restore used cells. You probably heard about stem cells and stromal cells. These are the core tissue production mechanisms we have in every organ. If you want to get deep into stem cell function and regulation - read Ageing and rejuvenation of tissue stem cells and their niches. To the recent time we had no idea they are present in the teeth as well, and we will talk about it in another post on teeth regeneration. As for the gums, regeneration depends on the whole variety of the tiny tissue factors which in turn are regulated by our hormones:

IL-3 The human interleukin-3 (hIL-3) is a glycoprotein, which served as a key modulation factor of primitive hematopoietic cell proliferation and differentiation. It was also demonstrated that IL-3 enhances human osteoblast differentiation and bone formation in both in vitro and in vivo conditions
SCF Stem cell factor (SCF, also called Steel factor or Kit ligand) is a growth factor that exists both as a membrane-bound and soluble form. It is expressed by fibroblasts and endothelial cells throughout the body, promoting proliferation, migration, survival, and differentiation of hematopoietic progenitors, melanocytes, and germ cells.
GM-CSFGranulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) is a hematopoietic growth factor involved in the generation of granulocytes, macrophages, and dendritic cells from hematopoietic stem cells. It was also identifeid as a neuronal growth factor in the brain and a factor involved in arteriogenesis after brain ischemia.
FGF-2FGF-2 is expressed mostly in tissues of mesoderm and neuroectoderm origin, and is thought to play an important role in the mesoderm induction. In recent years, a number of studies have identified fibroblast growth factors FGF-2 as key regulator of a variety of stem cell types.
TGF beta In most cell types, TGF-beta signaling additionally controls the expression of a plethora of homeostatic genes whose activity determines cell proliferation, extracellular matrix production, paracrine factor secretion, cell–cell contacts, immune function, and tissue repair.