Do gums shrink with weight loss?

If you're trying to lose weight, you may be wondering if your gums will shrink along with the excess fat. In this post, we'll take a look at what happens to gums when you lose weight and whether or not shrinking gums is a common side effect of weight loss. We'll also discuss ways to keep your gums healthy during and after your weight loss journey.

What is gum recession and how does it occur in the body?

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When it comes to our gums, we usually just think about the pink tissue that covers our teeth. But that tissue is really composed of many different kinds of cells.

There’s a kind of cell called a fibroblast and its job is to produce things like collagen, which help make up the shape and strength of our gums. If we lose weight, then there will be fewer fibroblasts in our body and this can mean less collagen production too!

The result? Our gum tissue may become thinner or weaker so it doesn’t provide as much support for our teeth any more – leading to what is called ‘gum recession’ also known as ‘gum shrinkage’.

Does weight loss cause gum recession?

It’s impossible to give one answer that fits every situation when it comes to how weight loss affects your gums. Some studies have shown that people who lose weight may see a decrease in the size of their gums, while other research doesn’t show this same link.

It might be possible that certain factors like genetics or if you are healthy overall determine whether or not losing weight makes your gums smaller.

What are some of the symptoms of gum recession

Some of the symptoms of gum recession include:

  • Receding gums
  • Tooth sensitivity
  • Loose teeth
  • Gaps between teeth
  • An increase in cavities or other dental problems

How can you prevent gum recession from happening?

There are several things you can do to prevent gum recession from happening:

Quit smoking

man sitting in the park smoking a cigarette

Gum recession is a common problem that can occur when you smoke cigarettes. Smoking causes the gums to be exposed to hot and harmful chemicals, which can cause them to recede or become smaller in size. To prevent this from happening, it is important to quit smoking if you are a smoker.

Quitting smoking will reduce your exposure to these harmful chemicals, helping your gums stay healthy and strong without contracting gum disease or shrinking over time.

Additionally, you should practice good oral hygiene habits such as brushing twice a day with toothpaste containing fluoride and flossing at least once daily.

This helps remove any plaque or bacteria from forming on the teeth and gums. It helps maintaining their overall health by reducing the risk of gum disease in the long run as well.

Eat a healthy diet

bowl of healthy foods next to chopping board

There are some steps you can take to help prevent gum recession from happening in the first place. Eating a healthy diet in one of the. A diet that includes plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables is one of them.

Foods high in vitamins A, C and D as well as minerals like calcium can help keep your gums healthy and strong which will make you less likely to experience any signs of shrinking or receding gum tissues.

Practice good hygiene

Brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing once a day helps prevent gum recession. You should also use an antiseptic mouthwash every morning to keep your gums healthy.

Visit your dentist at least once every six months for a professional deep cleaning to remove plaque, tartar, and bacteria that could be contributing to gum recession.

What are some of the treatments for gum recession?

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Scaling and root planing

This is most often used to treat gum recession. This procedure involves scaling or cleaning bacteria from the root surface and smooths down rough spots with planing.

This not only helps get rid of bacteria, but it can also help stimulate the tissues, encouraging them to heal and grow back. Additionally, this treatment can be completed non-surgically by a dental hygienist.

Antibiotic treatments

In some cases antibiotics might be needed to help treat gum recession that has been caused by an infection or bacterial growth in your mouth.

Your dentist will use local medication such as gels and ointments, or they may recommend taking antibiotic pills over a period of time if it’s needed for more serious infections or deep pockets around the teeth that are difficult to clean with just scaling alone.

Soft tissue grafting

One last option for treating gum recession is through soft tissue grafting, which involves taking healthy pieces of soft tissue from another part of the mouth (or sometimes using donor artificial material) and stitching them onto areas where there is too little gum coverage.

This helps give you back an even healthy line around your teeth so your smile looks normal again!

Can gum recession be reversed?

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Gum recession can be reversed, but only if you notice the problem early. If you wait too long, then your gums won’t grow back on their own.

Taking good care of your teeth and seeing the dentist often helps reduce chances of getting gum recession so bad it leads to losing teeth!

Conclusion: Does weight loss cause gums to shrink?

Shrinking gums can make your gums look like they are getting smaller. It is not completely understood why it happens, but some think that the cells in you gums might be making less of something called collagen.

When you have a recession in your gums, it may trigger other things such as sensitive teeth and teeth becoming loose or gaps between your teeth appearing.

There isn’t one particular medicine for this condition but there are steps to take to keep from getting gum shrinkage. Like knowing what foods to eat and bad habits could lead to gum reducing (such as smoking).

If anything looks strange with your gums go see a dentist right away!

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