My patients come to me with all kinds of dental issues, but the one I want to talk about today is gingival recession, more commonly referred to as receding gums or gum recession. It is an interesting problem because it often sneaks up on patients – it develops gradually and you may not notice anything wrong for several years. Then you will finally start to notice that you can see more of your teeth than you could before, and you may also become sensitive to heat or cold.
That’s because the roots of your teeth are getting more and more exposed to bacterial infection. The roots of your teeth also have several nerve endings in them, which is why you’ll feel more discomfort or sensitivity when brushing or when coming into contact with hot or cold liquids or food.
There are several causes for gum recession. Some of the most common ones are using too much pressure when you brush your teeth, using a tooth brush with stiff bristles, or doing other things that apply pressure or abrasion to your teeth. Chewing smokeless tobacco can also wear away gum tissue around your teeth.
But don’t fret if you think you have receding gums! Now that I’ve been treating patients with gum recession for several years, we at Sleep Dentistry Defined have developed a fantastic way to treat this common problem. The Lampee LiftSM is our unique method for treating receding gums. We use sterilized, donated gum tissue to rebuild your gum tissue without invasive surgery. This allows us to restore your gums in a way that covers and protects the roots of your teeth, eliminating the sensitivity and risk of bacterial infection that comes with receding gums.
In the past, this would have been a multi-day procedure that involved surgery on the palate. But today, with the Lampee Lift, we can correct gum recession in just a one- to two-hour procedure! Most patients will have the procedure done with a local anesthetic, but we also offer the Lampee Lift using sedation if a patient prefers not to be conscious for the procedure.
I’m so excited about this latest dental advancement! I have already seen great results from my patients, and from the many years I’ve been a dentist I know many people don’t notice gum recession until it starts to cause them pain or other issues. If these are things you’ve started to notice, we can help! Check out the Lampee Lift page to learn more about how we can help, or call us to schedule a consultation.
-Dr Lampee, DMD
