“Does root planing cause gum recession?”
I am a 41 year old female. I want to know if root planing causes gum recession?
8 Answers
No, however, if your gums are swollen and the scaling and root planning are done, the gums will shrink to normal and it will appear that there was recession but it was there before due to the swelling gums.
It would kind of seem like root planing causes root recession because once you have your root planing performed, the gums typically recede. The recession is actually caused by your gum tissues' reaction to the bacterial endotoxins released into the tissue. The body (gum tissue) tries to move away from the invading bacteria and endo toxins by your immune system release of cells and there are histamines that cause inflammation and breakdown and recession of body tissues from the area. Once the root planing is completed, the tissue inflammation resolves and the recession is now fully visible.
No, part of root planing is to clean the calculus that stays on the root surface and made gum recession by the time. So, the root planing, or is called SRP, is treatment for your teeth to prevent the gum recession.
Root planing in and of itself does NOT cause recession. However, most patients are getting scaling and root planing due to periodontal disease, which is characterized by inflammation of the gums. After root planing, once you have removed all of the calculus and the CAUSE of the inflammation, the gums will start to heal. Healthy gums are tight and pink, so as the inflammation improves you may see recession, but in this case, it indicates that your periodontal health is improving.
Root planning reduces inflammation in the gum tissue by cleaning away dental calculus that is below the level of the gingiva and not easily removed at home by regular toothbrushing. Once the gums are less inflamed and shrink back to a healthy position it would appear that there is recession. However, this is the healthy level of the gums once the inflammation is gone. So, if it looks like there is recession following root planning, it is a healthier state than the gums being inflamed and giving a false sense of a "higher" gingival margin.
When the gums tighten back up and heal after root planing you can experience some gum recession. However, the recession that you have is actually good (compared to having inflamed and bleeding gums) because it will eliminate large pocket depths and make it easier for you to clean.
No, other factors cause recession such as attrition from clenching/grinding/malocclusion, toothpaste abrasion or position of the roots in relation to the bone.
Root planing is used when there is an indication of somewhat severe gingival recession caused by plaque on the root of the tooth. By removing the debris, any infectious material or material capable of hosting bacterial infection is removed. This may allow the tissue around the root to heal and return to a modicum of health. Root planing, plus other periodontal treatments, and good oral health care, may restore and keep your teeth healthy.
