Receding gums don’t grow back on their own, but you can slow the process and, in many cases, restore lost tissue with the right combination of daily care and professional treatment. The approach that makes sense for you depends on how much gum tissue you’ve already lost. Mild recession often responds well to changes in brushing habits and professional cleanings, while moderate to severe cases may need surgery to protect exposed roots and prevent tooth loss.
Why Gums Recede in the First Place
Understanding what’s driving your recession helps you target the right fix. The most common culprits are gum disease, aggressive brushing, genetics, and smoking. Often it’s a combination.
Gum disease is the biggest driver. When plaque hardens into tarite below the gumline, it triggers chronic inflammation that gradually destroys the tissue anchoring your teeth. Smoking doubles your risk of gum disease compared to nonsmokers, and the relationship is dose-dependent: the more you smoke and the longer you’ve smoked, the worse the damage. Smoking also weakens your immune response, making it harder for gum tissue to heal and reducing the effectiveness of treatments you do pursue.
Brushing too hard is the other major factor people overlook. Scrubbing with a stiff-bristled brush or pressing down too forcefully wears away enamel at the gumline and pushes tissue upward over time. If your toothbrush bristles flatten within a few weeks, you’re almost certainly brushing too aggressively. Genetics and aging also play a role. Some people lose gum tissue even with excellent oral hygiene.
What You Can Do at Home
No home remedy will regrow gum tissue that’s already gone. That’s important to understand upfront. But several daily habits can slow recession, reduce inflammation, and protect the tissue you still have.
Switch to a soft-bristled toothbrush, or better yet, an electric toothbrush with a built-in pressure sensor. These models alert you or automatically slow down when you press too hard, which removes the guesswork. Manual brushes offer no feedback, making it easy to overbrush without realizing it. Use gentle, short strokes rather than scrubbing back and forth.
Saltwater rinses can help reduce inflammation and bacterial load. A 2016 study found them effective for oral health when used consistently. Green tea also shows promise: research suggests that regular consumption supports healthier gum tissue. Omega-3 fatty acids, taken at around 300 milligrams daily for 12 weeks, improved gum-to-tooth attachment in one clinical trial. These aren’t replacements for professional care, but they can complement it.
Oil pulling (swishing sesame or coconut oil for 10 to 20 minutes) reduced plaque buildup in people with early gum inflammation in a small study, though the evidence is limited. Turmeric gel applied to gums may help prevent plaque and gingivitis. Eucalyptus oil showed anti-inflammatory properties and some ability to stimulate new gum tissue growth in early research. None of these are proven cures, but they carry minimal risk if you’re using them alongside proper dental care, not instead of it.
Professional Non-Surgical Treatment
For mild to moderate gum disease, the first-line treatment is scaling and root planing, often called a “deep cleaning.” This goes well beyond a standard dental cleaning. Your dentist or periodontist uses specialized instruments to remove hardened plaque and bacteria from below the gumline, then smooths the root surfaces so gum tissue can reattach more easily.
The procedure is typically done with local anesthesia and may be split across two or more visits depending on how many areas of your mouth need treatment. Afterward, your gums will be sore for a few days and may bleed slightly. Most people return to normal eating within a day or two. Your dentist may also prescribe an antibacterial mouthwash to keep bacteria in check during healing.
Scaling and root planing works well when recession is caught early. If the pockets between your gums and teeth are still relatively shallow and the bone underneath is intact, this treatment alone can halt progression. You’ll likely need follow-up cleanings every three to four months instead of the usual six to maintain the results.
Surgical Options for Advanced Recession
When recession has exposed significant root surface or the gum tissue is too thin to protect the tooth, surgery becomes the more reliable option. Two main approaches dominate.
Traditional Gum Grafting
A periodontist takes a small piece of tissue, usually from the roof of your mouth, and stitches it over the exposed root. This creates a second healing site (the donor area), which adds to recovery time. Expect the full healing process to take several weeks. During the first week, you’ll deal with swelling, some bleeding, and a diet limited to soft, cool foods like yogurt, smoothies, and pudding. By week two, swelling and bruising begin to fade, and you can start adding softer solids like eggs, pasta, and cooked vegetables. You won’t brush or floss directly around the graft site until your surgeon clears you, typically around the two-week mark.
Grafting is often the better choice when a larger area of tissue has receded, because there’s simply not enough remaining gum to work with using less invasive methods. Costs typically range from $600 to $1,200 per tooth, and if gum contouring is needed alongside the graft, the price increases by another $1,000 to $3,000 per tooth. Insurance coverage varies widely, so check your plan before scheduling.
Pinhole Surgical Technique
This newer approach skips the tissue harvesting entirely. Instead, the dentist makes a tiny hole behind the receded gum tissue, loosens it through that opening, and repositions it down over the exposed root. A collagen strip holds everything in place while it heals, then dissolves on its own. There are no sutures, and the pinhole entry point typically heals within a day.
Recovery is dramatically faster than traditional grafting. Most people return to normal activities much sooner and experience less discomfort. The catch: you need enough existing gum tissue for the dentist to reposition. If too much tissue is already gone, a traditional graft is the only viable path.
Both procedures require that any active gum infection be treated first. Smokers need to quit before undergoing either surgery, because smoking impairs healing and significantly raises the chance of failure.
What Recovery Actually Looks Like
If you go the gum graft route, plan for about two weeks of modified routines. Day one is rest, cold soft foods, and prescribed medications for pain and swelling. Bleeding typically stops within 24 to 48 hours, but swelling peaks around day three or four. Avoid exercise, heavy lifting, and anything strenuous for at least the first week.
During the first week, you can gently brush teeth near the surgical area but not directly on the graft. Soft foods expand to include things like scrambled eggs, fish, and well-cooked pasta. By the second week, you’re transitioning back toward your normal diet, though hard, crunchy, and spicy foods stay off the menu until your periodontist gives the all-clear. Most people feel largely normal by three to four weeks, with full tissue maturation continuing for a few months.
Keeping Recession From Coming Back
Whether you’ve had surgery or caught recession early, the maintenance plan is similar. Brush twice daily with a soft-bristled or pressure-sensing electric brush, using gentle circular motions. Floss daily. Use an antimicrobial or fluoride mouthwash if your dentist recommends one.
If you smoke, quitting is the single most impactful change you can make. Smokers face worse outcomes from every gum treatment, and continued use accelerates further recession regardless of how diligent your oral care is. Even switching from cigarettes to other tobacco products doesn’t help: pipes and smokeless tobacco carry the same elevated gum disease risk.
Keep up with professional cleanings on whatever schedule your dentist recommends. For people with a history of gum disease, that’s usually every three to four months rather than every six. These visits catch early signs of new recession before it progresses to the point of needing another procedure. A night guard is also worth discussing if you grind your teeth, since clenching puts chronic stress on gum tissue and can accelerate loss over time.