Receding gums!!!

Message

#1 Post by **ILoveNiceTeeth** » Fri Oct 31, 2008 6:07 am

The gums on my bottom front teeth are starting to recede! I'm on #3/30...

what is causing this? is it the aligners or the overbrushing (3-4 times a day)

Anyone?

#2 Post by **Wobblydeb** » Fri Oct 31, 2008 6:49 am

I've not experienced that at all (already got some recession though). I'd speak to your dentist if I were you.....

#3 Post by **PaulInc** » Fri Oct 31, 2008 8:30 am

How do you know your gums are receeding, is it very obvious?

I inspect my teeth for this every day but am really unsure i can tell. Sometimes i worry there they are, but i just cant tell. Is there some sure way to tell?

#4 Post by **ILoveNiceTeeth** » Fri Oct 31, 2008 8:52 am

Well you can see a thining of the gums at the base of the teeth.

I've just noticed it after changing to tray 3... I guess they are pushing down on my gums and I can feel the upper pushing into the gum at the top... It feels I bit rough when I take them out but I'm used to it now...

I'm also getting the attachments put in next week (5 on top, 5 at the bottom)... I hope it doesnt mean the trays will be harder to take out... putting them in and out as been a piece of cake so far!

#5 Post by **bint3gra** » Fri Oct 31, 2008 5:40 pm

My aligners dont push into my gums. I'd check the fit with your ortho and watch the overagressive brushing. You should be massaging the gums in a circular fashion. The attachments arent so bad after IMO.

#6 Post by **John37** » Mon Nov 03, 2008 6:37 pm

I doubt they could recede that fast without you having other symptoms. Maybe they just seem like they are receding because your teeth are moving. I take pictures of my teeth every 2 weeks at least so I can compare and see if anything strange is happening.

#7 Post by **plasticgirl** » Wed Nov 26, 2008 1:01 pm

i have definitely got receding gums since starting invisalign 6 months ago.
on some of the premolars. i'm worried that when i go back for new impressions it will take an impression of my already receding gums and therefore the next box will be even tighter and push them back futher.
i asked my dentist and he said that i should brush the gums gently towards the teeth to help the situation. i have just started doing that so no improvements yet...

#8 Post by **PaulInc** » Wed Nov 26, 2008 4:13 pm

The aligners shouldnt touch your gums, they should be about .5mm from the gum line.

I'd file them down so they dont touch.

#9 Post by **John37** » Sun Nov 30, 2008 4:42 pm

The gums can only go up a little above the jawbone. If the tooth moves out to make your arch wider, then the bone will shrink where the tooth is moving. When it shrinks it will not be as high (or low on the uppers) and the gum will also be lower.

#10 Post by **Wobblydeb** » Thu Dec 11, 2008 9:58 am

plasticgirl wrote:i have definitely got receding gums since starting invisalign 6 months ago.
on some of the premolars. i'm worried that when i go back for new impressions it will take an impression of my already receding gums and therefore the next box will be even tighter and push them back futher.
i asked my dentist and he said that i should brush the gums gently towards the teeth to help the situation. i have just started doing that so no improvements yet...

Thought it might help if I had a look because I already had some quite bad recession before getting Invisalign.

I had a look at my trays to see whether the mould of my existing gum recession was transferred to the trays, and the answer is no. My trays stop where the gum line should be, leaving the exposed area of tooth without any tray against it. (if that makes sense). Its not a great piccie, but this might give you an idea - the molar is the worst:

Oh, and this gum recession started around the time (and just after) I had fixed braces, so I don't think the problem is limited or necessarily caused by Invisalign. I think you can be pre-disposed towards it, and definitely brushing technique is important. Once I had noticed I gave up whitening toothpaste and switched to an electric toothbrush. It has not got any worse for several years now, and Invisalign hasn't caused any problems.