Dentist Questions Endodontist

At what age do gums start to recede?

I am a 36 year old male. I want to know at what age do gums start to recede?

9 Answers

DentistEndodontist
It depends. Always get proper dental exams to diagnose and treat recession. It can happen with malocclusion, bad habits, trauma, bruxing, orthodontics and even genetics at any age.
Great question. Gums should not recede no matter the age. This is a sign of other concerns. There are many reasons why gums can recede but age is not one of them. See a qualified dentist. Good luck.
Gum recession may be prevented at any age with proper hygiene and regular checkups
Gum recession depends on several factors including genetics and quality of oral hygiene. There is no set age that gums will start to recede, and some people may see recession early in life or reach old age with no visible gum recession. Overall, seeing the dentist for regular cleanings and making a habit of proper brushing and flossing can prevent gum recession. If one does have recession, it is important to speak to a dentist about periodontal disease and the different treatment options regarding this condition.
It is not only age which determines the gums to recede. Maybe you brush too hard and they retract or maybe you have a genetic disease called parodontitis which determines that- and needs the care of a dentist+hygienist or diabetes. First signs in healthy adult shall be after 45 years.
Gums recede from brushing or flossing too hard, clenching or grinding, or periodontal disease where the bacteria destroy the bone. There are some immune diseases that will not help the gums. If there is no bone, the gums recede because of no support. But do not be fooled with perfect gums. There are some people who have deep pockets with perfect looking gums.
That is why one needs periodic periodontal exams to stop the disease progression.
That's not age related.
Gums recede due to many reasons, one of them is age. However, some very old people have gums that have not receded, and some young people start to develop gum recession early in life. Sometimes it is genetic, other times due to habits or oral hygiene. So there is no single age when gums start to recede, it depends more on the person.
Hello,

Although they usually show an age pattern, because of the different reasons for gum recession, gums can start to recede at any age. Gums can recede on some teeth because of an improper bite. This just means that your teeth are not aligned one hundred percent and some teeth are taking more force than the rest of them. This can happen at any age (commonly during early 20s and later in life) as teeth constantly shift throughout life. Interestingly, when the gums recede due to this, the cure is to align or adjust the teeth to reduce the force. Secondly, gums can recede from toothbrush abrasion. This means that the person tends to be heavy handed with their tooth brush and wears away their soft tissues and can happen at any age. Finally, the main reason we worry about gum recession is because of gum disease, periodontitis (periodontal disease). This is a process started with bacteria and ending with inflammation in the gum tissues and recession. This process can happen anytime, but it is most commonly seen in people's 30s and 40s.
Hope this helps.

My best to you!

William F. Scott IV, DMD