Gum recession has several risk factors…the exposure of the root of the tooth and the loss of the attachment between the tooth (or teeth) and gums is the most immediate one. But after the initial exposure, tooth decay and periodontal disease are imminent risks. Because the enamel that covers the root of the tooth (the portion that is under the gum line) is not as hard as the enamel above the gum line, when that part of the tooth becomes exposed, it is much more susceptible to tooth decay. And when the gums pull away from the teeth, periodontal pockets can form which allow plaque and food debris to accumulate which can result in periodontal disease. 

Gingival recession happens gradually and because it is so gradual, you may not notice the changes or that your gums have receded until problems start. Some of the symptoms to watch for that might indicate gum recession are: 

• The spaces between your teeth seem to be larger
• The color of your teeth seems to be changing
• Your teeth become sensitive to hot, cold, sweet, sour or spicy foods where they have not responded to these sensations in the past
• You notice that the roots of your teeth (or tooth) are exposed
• You feel a notch on your tooth at your gum line

The population is quickly aging, and right now seniors comprise the fastest growing demographic in the entire USA. As the members of the baby boomer generation and their parents grow older, the need for specialized dental care related to aging increases, too, because the teeth and gums also age. It becomes harder for the body to regenerate tissue and bone, for example, and as the tooth enamel becomes thinned over time and gums begin to separate from the teeth we become more vulnerable and susceptible to cavities and gum diseases. 

Many seniors also have replacement teeth, crowns, bridges, or other artificial dental components. These need to be checked on a regular basis – at least once or twice per year – to ensure that they still fit properly and allow for healthy oral hygiene and an aligned bite. Older people often have old-fashioned amalgam fillings in their teeth, too, and these can corrode, curl, break, or even fall out of the tooth. Once that happens bacteria can invade the old cavity and quickly migrate into the root to cause a painful and serious root canal infection. To avoid an emergency root canal procedure and to ensure that fillings are working properly, patients should maintain their dental visits so that the dentist can keep an eye on this kind of development and nip it in the bud before bacterial disease gets out of control.

Another significant advancement is the dental laser, which is a type of medical laser tool that zaps bacteria with less discomfort, less damage to healthy gums, and faster healing times. Rather than having to use old fashioned surgical instruments to cut and scrape out infected tissue, in other words, the dentist can simply focus the laser on it and use light to destroy the bacterial infection.

To learn about these and other modern dental techniques now available for your care, just ask your dentist for details.

Replacement teeth and crowns are also now made right on the spot in many dental offices, using special robotic machines that are powered by computers. The dentist uses photo imagery fed into the machine to get the exact measurement of the replacement or crown, and then the robotic machine expertly sculpts and carves the artificial or synthetic tooth using tiny high-speed instruments. That means that it is possible to have a tooth extracted and the new tooth ready to replace it within one dental visit. It used to take days or weeks to have crowns and teeth made, because they had to be sent to a laboratory – which also increased the cost – but these new in-office robotic machines handle everything in a faster and more affordable way.

If X-rays happens to reveal cavities, patients are in for more good news because modern dentists also use special drills that use forced air to perform procedures without the loud noise, jarring vibrations, and offensive metallic odor associated with conventional drills. These can help many people completely overcome their fear of the dentist chair, and they make the filling of cavities a much more precise and accurate procedure for better fitting fillings and more thorough eradication of harmful cavity-causing bacteria.

The materials used to fill cavities have also been upgraded significantly. With advanced polymers it is possible, for instance, to have fillings or even crowns done at a very affordable price. These can also be color-matched to ensure that they look natural, and they contain no metals that can potentially rust and cause fillings to leak and malfunction.