Do you suffer from receding gums? And if you do, did you know that there are many natural remedies that help grow back your receding gums in just a few weeks?
Receding gums are basically just that – gums that have receded. It occurs when the gum tissues around your teeth wear away, and the gums recede backward. This exposes a larger surface area of your tooth, which can lead to problems like bacteria build up and tooth pain and sensitivity.
You can even lose teeth if your receding gums get really bad – the damage inflicted on the supporting tissue and bone structures of your teeth will be compromised, and can lead to this scenario.
Symptoms of Receding Gums
It takes time for your gums to recede – it isn’t something that happens overnight. If you have really sensitive teeth, receding gums could be the problem. If your teeth also appear larger (because more of them are exposed) than they were a few years ago, it is also likely that you have receding gums, and should get to treatment right away (naturally, of course!).
Here are some symptoms of receding gums:
– Tooth sensitivity
– Tooth appearing larger than usual
– Tooth aches or pain
What Causes Receding Gums?
• Gum diseases: gum diseases like periodontal disease, where bacteria infect your gums, damage the gum tissue and your teeth’s supporting bone. This leads to gum recession and other problems.
• Genetics: if receding gums are common amongst your families lineage, it may be a genetic issue. Over 30% of the population is predisposed to gum disease, no matter how well they take care of their teeth.
• Rough tooth brushing: brushing your teeth too aggressively, will make your gums weak, and can lead to receding gums. Brushing too hard will wear away the enamel on your teeth, which then leads to receding gums.
• Poor dental hygiene: if you’re one of those people who don’t like to brush or floss regularly, then you’ll end up with lots of plaque on your teeth, which can then turn to tartar. This hard substance may cause gum recession.
• Hormonal changes: in regards to women, hormone levels change around puberty, pregnancy and menopause. This can make gums more sensitive and vulnerable to gum recession.
• Tobacco: smoke or chew tobacco? Your gums aren’t going to look too healthy. People who use tobacco have sticky plaque on their teeth, which is hard to remove. This can cause gum recession.
• Grinding and clenching your teeth: this will put a lot of force on your teeth, which can cause gums to recede.
• Piercing your lips or tongue: we all know the tongue and lip piercings can mess up your teeth. Jewellery rubs the gums and irritates them until the gum tissue is worn away.
You CAN Grow Back Your Gums!
Thankfully, you can grow back your gums. Eating a plant-based diet and treating your teeth with the following natural remedies will have your teeth back in shape in no time.
Here are 10 natural remedies that will help your receding gums grow back:
Oil Pulling
Oil pulling is incredibly beneficial for the gums and teeth. It is antimicrobial and helps protect against disease causing bacteria and germs. It also helps prevent food particles from sticking between the teeth. I like to make a toothpaste of coconut oil, baking soda, and a little bit of peppermint oil. You can also oil pull with coconut oil or sesame seed oil for 20 minutes, spit out, and then brush teeth as you would normally do.
Activated Charcoal
Activated charcoal is one of my favourite ways to beat receding gums. Toxins released by plaque bacteria that cause gum disease and receding gum lines adhere to the surface of the activated charcoal, and then when you spit out the charcoal, you are also removing these toxins. Activated charcoal also helps whiten the teeth, and brushing with it overnight will have your teeth looking like new!
Vitamin C
You can rub vitamin C powder on your gums to help them recover. Use in the form of calcium ascorbate, that way it won’t sting when you apply to the gums. Spread on the gums and rinse after a few minutes. Taking vitamin C supplements and upping your fruit and veggie intake will also help increase vitamin C concentrations in the body.
Aloe Vera
Aloe vera is incredibly anti-inflammatory and has many repairing capabilities. It will help repair gum tissue, and prevent infections such as those caused by bacteria that stick to the teeth. You can use aloe vera gel like a mouthwash, or for brushing your teeth.
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus essential oil destroys germs and bacteria that live in your mouth. It’ll protect you from oral diseases and helps reduce swelling in the gums (major anti-inflammatory!). Dilute this essential oil in some water to prevent any adverse reactions. Take 1-2 drops of eucalyptus essential oil in 1-2 tbsp. of water, and dip your toothbrush in this solution and brush. Wash your mouth with water, and voila! This will stimulate the growth of new gums (you can find the study here), and prevent receding gum lines altogether.
Green Tea
Do you drink green tea? Drinking 1 cup a day has a huge benefit for our teeth and gums. It is full of antioxidants, like catechins, that fight free radicals that cause periodontal disease, which can lead to receding gums. Catechins strengthen the connection between the gums and teeth and also reduce swelling of the gums.
Myrrh
Powdered myrrh mixed with a little bit of water to form a paste can be used as a treatment before brushing your teeth. Resin from the myrrh tree is used for curing and treating different gum and mouth diseases. It helps prevent damage to the gums and reduces gum line recession.
Clove Oil
You can also combine 1-2 drops of clove oil with a little bit of coconut oil and massage on your gums. Doing this 3 times a day can dramatically improve the health of your gums. The most common use of clove oil is to prevent toothache. It destroys germs and bacteria in your mouth and fights against oral disease. It also reduces gum swelling.
Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide in your mouth?! It’s okay! Hydrogen peroxide is actually a great remedy to improve the health of our gums and teeth. It only consists of water and oxygen. It is a germicidal agent that oxidizes disease organisms and kills them! 3% hydrogen peroxide diluted with a little bit of water makes an effective mouthwash, and can be used with baking soda as a toothpaste. Just make sure you spit it out and don’t swallow!
Lemon Oil
Lemon oil is highly antiseptic and makes a great anti-bacterial agent. Lemon helps stimulate the growth of the gums, and prevents gum disease in general. Lemons are acidic, however, when they first enter the mouth, and so too much of the oil on your teeth can actually destroy your enamel. Doing this once a week should be plenty. Mix 1/4 cup olive oil with the juice of 1/2 a freshly squeezed lemon. Mix, and leave the mixture for a couple weeks. Shake the jar every day, and after 3-4 weeks you can start to use the oil. Massage the gums with this mixture for a couple minutes, and be sure to brush afterward.
Sources:
http://www.earthclinic.com/cures/receding-gums-periodontal-gum-disease.html
http://www.newhealthguide.org/Can-Receding-Gums-Grow-Back.html
Hi again Carly,
My second post seems to have gone missing, so thought I'd write again. My question is: Are the photos at the start of the article your teeth? If not, do you know that the images are of someone who followed the recommendations in your article?
I ask because I am really interested to remedy receding gums, but, like other people, I do feel discouraged because there's a lot of information out there, but few people showing their genuine results.
I've seen similar photos, but it turns out they are the before and after of gum surgery, not the natural methods in your post.
So again, the question: do the photos show the results you, or other people you know, got by following your natural methods?
Thanks
Hey Robyn,
I never saw your previous comment – sorry about that. I have used these methods to help with my own receding gums, and they have more or less stopped receding, with some improvement in growth. I have no before pictures, so I am not able to really compare my gums at this point. There are a lot of factors that contribute to receding gums – even how you brush your own teeth. All I can say is to try the methods and see if they at least help stop the receding patterns.
Hi Carly,
Thanks for taking the time to reply — not quite the question I asked, but thanks anyway.
Best,
Robyn
Sorry Robyn, I thought I answered them. I figured since I said I wasn't able to take before photos, that it would imply the photo in this article is not of my own mouth. I've heard of different degrees of stories online, and my own personal experience, so that is what I am basing this article off of.
When you search online, it says that receding gums cannot grow back. I started using tea tree oil drops with a detoxifying toothpaste and am waiting to see if that approach works and to see if I can avoid gum draft surgery or gum regeneration procedure that is very expensive to have. Let me know if receding gums grow back or not because this issue is simply not clear when searching for an answer on the internet.
Hey Susan – while some studies have shown that some natural remedies do help with receding gums, it isn’t 100% guaranteed. One study found that eucalyptus oil helps with stimulating the growth of new gum tissue (https://aap.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1902/jop.2008.070622), but a lot of these remedies are for preventing and protecting the teeth that are now exposed. Eating high raw, plant-based and learning how to properly brush my teeth were the big things that improved my gums.