If you know anything about gum disease, you probably know that your gums can start to pull away from your teeth if the condition isn’t treated – a symptom known as gum recession.
What you might not be sure about is whether recession can affect your child. In most cases, gum recession occurs in adults ages 40 and over, but in certain situations, children may also experience the problem. A child may experience gum recession as young as seven years of age.
Causes of Gum Recession
The causes of gum recession vary from adults to children. As an adult, certain issues like gum disease, poor oral hygiene, aggressive brushing, hormones, and tobacco use could be the cause of gum recession, but these issues aren’t as likely to affect a child’s gums. For kids, the most common reason for recession is a tooth that is located in an irregular position.
However, if you notice that your child has the indications of gum disease – whether they have an irregularly placed tooth or not – it is important that you get him in to see your dentist.
Treating Your Child’s Gum Disease
So, you take your child into the dentist, and he confirms that gum recession has occurred. What exactly can you do about the problem? Since the causes of recession are different than those that cause adult recession, are there even any viable treatment options?
Well, it depends on a variety of factors, such as how much tooth is exposed and whether or not your child has plans for future dental work. Getting your child’s teeth back into their correct position may avoid future recession, and in severe cases, gum grafting might be recommended.
Regardless of the treatment method that is chosen, it is important that in the future you implement a good oral hygiene routine at home in order to reduce the risk of future gum problems.
Please contact us if you have any questions about your child’s oral health.
