Receding gums cannot grow back on their own. Once gum tissue pulls away from a tooth, the body does not regenerate it naturally. But that doesn’t mean you’re stuck watching the problem get worse. Treatment can stop recession from progressing, and surgical options can restore lost gum tissue to its original position. The real goal is a combination: halt the damage, repair what’s already happened, and protect against further loss.
Why Gums Recede in the First Place
Gum recession has two broad categories of causes, and most people have a mix of both. The first is gum disease. When plaque builds up along the gumline and hardens into tarite, it triggers chronic inflammation that slowly destroys the tissue and bone supporting your teeth. The second, surprisingly common cause, is mechanical damage from brushing too hard. Dentists frequently see patients who wear down their toothbrush bristles within weeks, a clear sign of excessive force that wears away both enamel and gum tissue over time.
Beyond those two main drivers, several other factors contribute. Teeth that sit out of alignment put uneven pressure on surrounding tissue. Tobacco use increases susceptibility significantly. Grinding or clenching your teeth creates sideways forces that stress the gumline. Even thin bone covering the front surface of teeth, which is simply an anatomical trait some people are born with, makes recession more likely. If you smoke, have diabetes, and are over 45, you’re 20 times more likely to develop severe gum disease than someone without those risk factors.
What Nonsurgical Treatment Can Do
For mild recession, your dentist may recommend treatments that don’t involve surgery. The most common starting point is scaling and root planing, a deep cleaning where a hygienist removes hardened plaque from below the gumline and smooths the root surfaces so gum tissue can reattach more snugly. This typically costs around $242 per quadrant of your mouth, though prices range from $185 to $444 depending on your location and provider.
Scaling and root planing won’t regrow lost tissue, but it removes the bacterial infection driving the recession forward. For teeth where the recession is mostly cosmetic and not exposing too much root, dental bonding (a tooth-colored resin applied over the exposed area) can protect the root and improve appearance without surgery. In some cases, orthodontic treatment to reposition a misaligned tooth can reduce the mechanical stress causing recession at that site.
Gum Graft Surgery
Gum grafting is the most predictable and long-lasting treatment for significant recession. A periodontist takes a small piece of tissue, usually from the roof of your mouth, and attaches it over the exposed root. The graft is trimmed to about 1.5 to 2 millimeters thick, secured with dissolvable stitches, and covered by the surrounding tissue, which is repositioned upward to sit about 2 millimeters above the original gumline.
Recovery takes one to two weeks for most people, sometimes longer. Here’s what the timeline looks like in practice:
- Day one: Soft, cool foods only. Think yogurt, pudding, smoothies.
- First week: You can add eggs, pasta, fish, and cooked vegetables as comfort allows.
- Second week: Gradually return to more solid foods, but avoid anything hard, crunchy, or spicy until your surgeon gives the green light.
You’ll typically have a follow-up appointment about a week after surgery. The national average cost for gum graft surgery is $2,742, with a range of $2,120 to $4,982 depending on how many teeth need treatment and where you live. Dental insurance often covers a portion when the procedure is deemed medically necessary rather than cosmetic.
The Pinhole Surgical Technique
A newer alternative to traditional grafting avoids the large incision and tissue harvesting altogether. Instead, the periodontist makes a tiny hole in the gum tissue above the affected tooth, loosens the tissue through that opening, and gently slides it down to cover the exposed root. Small strips of collagen material are then tucked underneath to hold the tissue in its new position while it heals.
Because there’s no tissue removed from the roof of your mouth and no sutures along the gumline, patients generally report less discomfort and faster initial recovery. The technique works best for treating multiple teeth in one session. However, it’s a newer procedure, and long-term data comparing its durability to traditional grafting is still building. Not every periodontist offers it, so you may need to specifically seek out a provider trained in the technique.
Laser Treatment for Gum Disease
Laser-assisted procedures target the infection driving recession rather than directly replacing lost tissue. The laser removes diseased tissue and bacteria from periodontal pockets while leaving healthy tissue intact. This creates conditions that encourage the gums to reattach to the tooth root over time. Studies cited by the National Institutes of Health report a 93.5% success rate for treating chronic gum disease with laser therapy.
It’s important to understand what “success” means here. Laser treatment doesn’t instantly rebuild gum tissue. It reduces infection, promotes reattachment of existing tissue, and can slow or stop further recession. For people whose recession is primarily driven by active gum disease, this can make a meaningful difference. For recession caused by mechanical damage or thin bone anatomy, laser treatment alone is unlikely to restore the gumline.
Do Home Remedies Work?
You’ll find plenty of claims online about oil pulling, aloe vera, or green tea reversing gum recession. None of these will regrow lost gum tissue. That said, some have legitimate value as part of a broader oral care routine. A clinical study comparing coconut oil pulling to chlorhexidine (the prescription-strength mouthwash dentists often recommend) found that both produced similar reductions in bacteria and inflammatory markers in patients with gum disease. Coconut oil pulling won’t reverse recession, but it may help manage the gum inflammation contributing to it, with fewer side effects than medicated mouthwash.
Saltwater rinses, gentle massage of the gums, and anti-inflammatory foods can support gum health in a general sense. But treating these as substitutes for professional care when you have visible recession is a mistake that lets the problem advance.
Preventing Further Recession
Whether you’ve had treatment or are trying to keep mild recession from worsening, prevention comes down to a few specific habits. The most impactful change for many people is reducing brushing pressure. Use a soft-bristled brush and gentle, short strokes rather than scrubbing back and forth. Electric toothbrushes with built-in pressure sensors can help, since they alert you or slow the motor automatically when you’re pressing too hard. But the toothbrush itself matters less than technique: gentle pressure and two full minutes, twice a day.
If you grind your teeth at night, a custom night guard protects both your enamel and your gumline from the lateral forces that contribute to recession. Quitting smoking makes a substantial difference, particularly if you also have diabetes or other conditions that compromise blood flow to the gums. And consistent professional cleanings, typically every six months but sometimes every three to four months for people with a history of gum disease, catch early signs of recession before they require surgery.
Flossing daily removes the plaque buildup between teeth that brushing misses. If traditional floss feels awkward, interdental brushes or a water flosser accomplish the same goal. The point is disrupting bacterial colonies before they harden into tartar and trigger the inflammatory cycle that eats away at gum tissue.