Metal Mouth Message Board

Maybe it's a case of my staring at my teeth too much but I think I may need a gum graft. Could you look at my picture and tell me whether there is any sign of gum recession in the lower teeth? You know, for someone who needs just upper jaw surgery, it's amazing to me all the issues I have had with my teeth have been in the lower teeth (gaps, double power chains, molar band all on lower teeth).

Well, you don't have any black triangles on the lower arch (and that one on the upper doesn't look like a problem), which is a good sign. But you aren't posting enough of the lower gum to tell anything else; your lower lip needs to be pulled out of the way. (Even then, I'm not quite sure just what to look for, just that it involves stuff farther down that what's in that photo.)

I have gum recession; indeed, it's the only reason I'm in braces. When dentists talk about "gum recession" they generally aren't referring to the same thing you might be. The gum nearest the tooth is what my periodontist refers to as "soft, squishy, gum" It's pretty much cosmetic and doesn't do much other than cover up your teeth.. If that retreats a mm or two, it's not considered a big deal (and it covering the whole tooth is no guarantee you don't have recession.) What causes them to schedule gum grafts is recession of "hard" gum; when that recedes, it usually occurs along with bone loss. (I could help you more if I knew what the two types looked like in a photo, but I don't.) Shoring up "hard" gum with a graft (using tissue obtained from your palate, which is an infinite source of the stuff) at least temporarily halts further bone loss. Bone loss is blindingly obvious on x-rays, where you can clearly see if the bone does not fill most of the space between your teeth in a nice straight line.

Thank you for the info. I will ask my dentist when I see him for my cleaning next week. Oh and I pulled the lip down more in this pic. To me they look recessed and I do have some triangles I think on the lower arch (the double power chains are hiding them).

It does look like the gums have receded some but they look healthy to me, nice and pink, not red or inflamed. I have gum recession too, I had it before braces and I'm now out of braces and it has not got any worse, in some areas the gum looks better than before. I wouldn't have thought the amount of recession you have would need a gum graft, but then again pics aren't an easy way to diagnose and anyway I can't diagnose in any way at all because I'm not a dentist or orthodontist. I have spoken to my ortho, dentist and hygienist about my recession and they have all said it is nothing to worry about as long as I continue to take care of my gums with regular flossing and stop brushing so hard.

Okay thank you for your input. I will ask my dentist and orthodontist what they think: it's probably just me being super paranoid and having too much time on my hands given how often I'm staring at my teeth. I'm just trying to visualize how I'll look after the upper jaw surgery fixes my underbite; I can't wait...