Q.
Hi, I am 47 and first experienced gum problems in my 30s following having children. I consulted my then dentist about bleeding gums and have always had regular check ups, but all he told me to do was floss and brush. I was already brushing after each meal and flossing too, but the gums got worse. The recession also worsened, but he did not refer me to a periodontist (at that time I did not realise that you could see a gum specialist!). I think the vigorous brushing may have contributed to some of the recession. Some years later when seeking orthodontic treatment, I was referred to a periodontist and had extensive work to clean below gum line, which cured the bleeding gums. She also attempted to do a gum graft, but gave me inadequate aftercare advice and the graft failed. She subsequently carried out (from memory) 4 more grafts to the same area within a few months(very painful because tissue was taken from palate)and all failed. I am not a smoker or drinker and I am very, very careful of dental hygiene. Consequently, I now have areas of recession in my mouth which upset me greatly, as I feel they are unsightly. These are at the tops of the teeth. The pointy bits of gum between the teeth seem to be OK. I had the tooth in the area she tried to graft cosmetically reshaped, to try to make it look better, but it still looks very long (it is a canine tooth). My canine on the other side is also quite long, as is the tooth behind it. My front four teeth are ok. Oddly, I have a couple of bridges on the other side of my mouth and the recession has not occurred as much around these (I had these bridges put in because I had two teeth removed in my teens for orthodontics which were not completed). My gums seem pink and healthy. They do not bleed now. I floss and brush (with Oral B electric brush) always after eating and attend for six monthly cleaning. I think they may be still receding a little bit though – maybe through age? What I would like to know is, is there any way of making my teeth look more attractive, less long and ensuring that the recession is minimised for the future by way of cosmetic dentistry? I do not want to try another gum graft, because I feel that this is too risky and because of previous failure, I may not be a good candidate for this (also, the treatment was extremely traumatic the way it was carried out). My mother suffered from gum problems too, so I think I am just unlucky that I have inherited this predisposition from her. Sorry for the long, involved question, but I thought the background important. Can anything be done for me perhaps by way of using crowns, new bridges, veneers, etc.(assuming my gum condition is indeed stable)? Could my teeth be made to look smaller? This really does make me upset and self-conscious when smiling, so any advice would be most gratefully received. Thank you.,