If your smile is looking a little long in the tooth, you may be dealing with exposed tooth roots. It’s a good idea to schedule a gum health exam with a periodontist, especially if you have a family history of gum or oral health issues. While a visit with one of our Board-Certified Periodontists will answer your questions on exposed roots and how your unique case can be treated, it’s helpful to know a little more about the causes, symptoms, and treatments before you come in. Let’s go through our comprehensive guide on everything about exposed roots!
What causes the roots of your teeth to show?
First of all, let’s discuss the causes behind your tooth root showing through gums. In terms of your gums receding, there’s a few common culprits:
- Aggressive teeth brushing. Either brushing too hard or with a hard bristle toothbrush can cause damage to your gum line, encouraging it to recede.
- Tobacco use. Smoking, chewing, or vaping tobacco products nicotine reduces the amount of oxygen in your bloodstream, causing your immune system to weaken. The heat from smoking tobacco also causes a protective film to develop on your gums, effectively trapping dead or infected tissues with healthy gum tissue.
- Teeth grinding. Untreated bruxism can lead to abfractions in teeth, these are breaks where your teeth and gums meet.
- Poor dental hygiene. Not brushing your teeth twice daily with a fluoride toothpaste and flossing once a day can lead to plaque and tartar build up, the gums worst enemy, causing the roots of your teeth to show.
- Periodontal disease. The most common culprit of exposed tooth roots! Periodontal disease is an infection of the gum tissue and if left untreated can cause tooth loss and bone loss.
Exposed tooth root symptoms
Many patients with exposed tooth roots can have no symptoms, few symptoms, or all the following symptoms, depending on the cause behind their exposed roots. If you’re experiencing any of the following, we recommend you schedule an appointment with a periodontist today:
- Tooth sensitivity.
- Pain when chewing.
- Tender, swollen gums.
- Receding gums or long looking teeth.
- Uneven gum line.
What are my exposed tooth roots treatment options?
At Periodontal Health Center, we offer a variety of treatment options and services to help you get back to optimal gum health and restore your beautiful smile.
Non-surgical periodontal treatments
- Scaling and root planing. Using specialized instruments, our periodontists will clean from the crowns of your teeth down to the roots, removing plaque and tartar, giving you eExposed root tooth pain relief while encouraging gum tissue to reattach to your roots.
- LANAP. An FDA-approved laser periodontal treatment which allows our periodontists to eliminate bacteria and infected tissue while preserving healthy gum tissue. You can get the full scoop on how this minimally invasive procedure works here.
Surgical periodontal treatments
- Flap and osseous surgery. This is a traditional gum surgery for advanced forms of periodontal disease in which patients develop “pockets” of bacteria between the tooth root and gum tissue. technique that reduces pocket depth, preventing further progression of gum recession and tooth root exposure.
- Periodontal plastic surgery. Once disease-causing bacteria has been removed from your roots and gumline, a gum graft may be necessary to strengthen weakened gum tissue or missing gum tissue.
- Autogenous gingival graft – where we take tissue from the roof of your mouth to replace gum tissue.
- Connective tissue graft
- Periodontal regeneration surgery. Depending on your gum needs, our periodontist may recommend a protective membrane be placed over your healthy gum tissue or that engineered tissue techniques may benefit you.
- Pinhole gum rejuvenation. Using the Chao Pinhole technique, Dr. Stilley can release and stretch gum tissue across exposed tooth roots.
Explore your exposed tooth root treatment options with PHC!
If you have exposed roots or think you may have periodontal disease, it’s important that you schedule an appointment with a qualified periodontist as soon as possible. Our perio experts are dedicated to restoring your smile to its natural beauty!
PHC has been providing advanced periodontal care in the Tampa Bay area since 1977 so you can rest assured your gums are in expert hands! At your first visit, one of our experienced periodontists (Dr. Stilley, Dr. Medina, or Dr. Mashkouri) will examine the condition and health of your gums and discuss your treatment options to help you make the best decision for your health.