Gum Recession: What Helps, and What Cannot Grow Back

What gum recession is and why it happens

Gum recession means the gum margin has moved down (or up, on the upper teeth) and exposed part of the root. Teeth can look longer, and the exposed root can be sensitive to cold. A review from the 2017 World Workshop on periodontal diseases found that recession is common in adults and increases with age¹, and that it occurs in people with both good and poor oral hygiene. It links exposed roots with sensitivity, root decay and wear near the gum line.

The same review names thin gums as a clear risk factor and says poor oral hygiene, orthodontic treatment and fillings or crowns near the gum line might increase the risk¹. Gum disease (periodontitis) also causes the gum to recede as the bone beneath it is lost.

Brushing too hard is often blamed. A systematic review found the data on brushing and recession inconclusive²: it can neither confirm nor rule out a link. Gentle brushing is still sensible, but it is not proven to prevent recession.

What cannot grow back

This is the part many articles leave vague, so here it is plainly.

• Gum and bone lost to gum disease. Scottish dental guidance (SDCEP) states that damage caused by periodontitis is irreversible, but the disease can be stabilised³. UK prevention guidance calls the bone loss largely irreversible⁴: in some bone defects surgery can regenerate part of it, but no home method can.
• Receded gum and home remedies. None of the studies we checked showed any rinse, oil, herb or toothpaste making receded gum grow back. The reviews of natural remedies measured plaque and gum-inflammation scores; none of them, as we read them, reported on recession at all. That is an absence of evidence, and it means no remedy can honestly be sold as a way to regrow gum.

What can change is inflammation. Swollen, bleeding gums can settle with better cleaning, and that can make the gum line look different. That is healing of inflammation, not regrowth of lost gum.

Natural remedies: an honest verdict

Natural remedies are often recommended for receding gums. Here is what the evidence behind them actually measured.

• Green tea rinse. In a review that pooled 5 trials against chlorhexidine (an antiseptic rinse), results showed no clear difference either way⁵ on plaque or gum inflammation, and the trials disagreed with each other widely. The review did not report on recession.
• Aloe vera rinse. A review of 6 trials found it comparable to chlorhexidine on gum inflammation but weaker on plaque⁶, and the authors call the findings preliminary. The review did not report on recession.
• Oil pulling (swishing sesame or coconut oil). A review of 25 trials lasting 7 to 45 days rated the evidence of very low certainty⁷, and chlorhexidine reduced plaque more. The review did not report on recession.
• Thyme. We found no systematic review of thyme rinses for gum problems, and no evidence that a thyme infusion helps receding gums.
• Clove and clove oil. The European Medicines Agency accepts clove oil only as a traditional herbal medicine⁸, based on long-standing use rather than trials: a dilute mouthwash for minor mouth inflammation, and strong oil placed in a decayed tooth for temporary toothache, neither for more than a week. It is not a treatment for gum disease or recession. For the strong toothache use the agency says to avoid contact with the gums; it reports irritation and allergic reactions, advises against use under 18 or in pregnancy and breastfeeding, and warns that swallowed clove oil has caused life-threatening conditions in small children.
• Salt water, vinegar, lemon and other kitchen remedies. None was assessed for gums by the sources we use, so we make no claim that they help. The American Dental Association notes that studies of home whitening with acidic fruits and vinegar raise questions about their safety⁹, so ask your dentist before putting anything acidic on your teeth or gums.

Some of these remedies lowered plaque or gum-inflammation scores in studies, but the evidence is weak. They do not replace brushing and cleaning between the teeth, and none of them treats recession.

What a dentist can do

The first step is finding out why the gum has receded. A dentist checks for gum disease, the thickness of the gum, how you brush and any filling or crown edge near the gum line.

• Monitoring. Where there is no disease, the World Workshop review says that monitoring the site seems to be the proper approach¹.
• Treating gum disease. If recession comes from periodontitis, treatment aims to stop further loss. How that works is explained on the gum disease treatment page.
• Easing sensitivity and protecting the root. Exposed roots can be sensitive and more prone to decay. Fluoride toothpaste helps protect them, and a worn area can be covered with a filling where needed.
• Gum grafting surgery. Considered when recession is getting worse, the root is at risk, or for appearance. In a Cochrane review of 48 trials, 3 trials with 98 people compared two techniques. A graft of your own tissue, usually taken from the palate and placed under gum that is moved over the root, reduced recession more than a technique using a membrane, but the difference was about a third of a millimetre¹⁰ and the evidence was of low quality. The membrane technique left the gum slightly more firmly attached to the root, so neither is better on every measure. Grafting is surgery, and where tissue is taken from the palate there is a second area to heal; ask about pain, healing time and possible complications before you decide. The review covered recession of at least 3 mm without loss of the gum between the teeth.

Grafting reduces how much root is exposed, but we found no reliable figure for how much it covers, so ask the dentist what result to expect for your tooth. Results also change over time: a review of studies with at least 5 years of follow-up found that recession tends to increase again over the years¹¹ after root-coverage surgery, less so with grafts of the patient's own tissue.

Protecting the gum you have

• Use a soft or medium brush with a small head, and brush gently. UK guidance reports low-certainty evidence¹² that soft and medium bristles are less likely than hard ones to injure the gums.
• Brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and spit out rather than rinse, so the fluoride stays on exposed roots.
• Clean between your teeth every day with interdental brushes that fit, or floss.
• Do not smoke. Smoking raises the risk of periodontitis, one of the causes of recession.
• Keep your check-ups, so a dentist can compare the gum line over time and catch gum disease early.

When to see a dentist

Book an appointment if your teeth look longer than before, a tooth has become sensitive to cold, or you can see or feel the edge of a root. The NHS also advises seeing a dentist if your gums bleed when you brush¹³, are painful or swollen, or you have bad breath, and if a child has sore, bleeding gums.

Ask for an urgent appointment if teeth feel loose or are falling out, your gums are very sore and swollen, or you have ulcers, red patches or a lump in your mouth or on your lip.

Emergencies. Call 112 or go to the nearest emergency department if you:

• find it hard to breathe, speak or swallow¹⁴
• have a swollen or painful eye, sudden problems with your eyesight, or swelling in your neck¹⁵
• have a lot of swelling inside your mouth
• find it hard to open your mouth

Frequently asked questions