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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To go private and pay a small fortune to have receding gum treated?

30 replies

Bumbalaya · 22/02/2019 13:13

I went to the dentists today.
I have recently noticed that the gum on one of my bottom teeth has begun to recede (quite badly)
I had braces (age 30) a few years ago and have a wire on the bottom front teeth to hold them in place.
I brush and floss my teeth religiously but had a bad foundation as my parents didn't encourage dental hygiene at all so I have tonnes of fillings.
The dentist told me that the NHS no longer do treatment for receding gums and that I'll have to go private and pay for the operation.
Does anyone have any experience of a)just leaving it and keeping it clean or b) Having the operation?
I'd be really grateful for any opinions.
Thank you.

OP posts:

Guardsman18 · 22/02/2019 13:40

You could be me writing that post!

I'm not sure if this helps but I was told last week that the Dental Hospital offers treatment on the nhs but your dentist has to refer you. (Obviously i don't know whether this is true all over the country.)

Some private dentists offer 0 % finance I've noticed.Sorry if this isn't helpful - am rushing out in a minute - but I didn't want to read and not answer!

wink1970 · 22/02/2019 13:50

I had 2 gum grafts last year (the first didn't take). If i remember right they were about £600 each, though the dentist didn't charge me for the second one.

It's not that painful; they slice a bit from the roof of your mouth and then stitch it over the receding area, then inject it with collagen to encourage grafting. The worst bit is the soft food diet for 10 days!

wink1970 · 22/02/2019 13:53

To add; mine were on the back of an implant.

HeathRobinson · 22/02/2019 14:27

Huh! My NHS dentist told me there was no treatment for receding gums!

Asta19 · 22/02/2019 14:32

My NHS dentist told me there was no treatment for receding gums

Mine said very similar, I certainly wasn't told about a graft! I'm now minus a tooth! So OP, definitely do not do nothing. It will continue to recede and you will lose the tooth. If you can afford the operation then I would do it. Maybe look up success rates? I'm feeling quite cross now that this option wasn't given to me.

Pugwash1 · 22/02/2019 15:46

I have hereditary receding gums and have frequently asked if treatment is available and have always been told no. About to Google treatment!

Annabk · 22/02/2019 15:49

I was offered a gum graft (private dentist) 4yrs ago. Turned it down in favour of sonicare brushing and flossing with interdental brushes. Still have my teeth so no regrets here!

Aroundtheworldandback · 22/02/2019 15:53

As far as I am aware, receding gums is just part of getting older (along with shrinking)

ShakeYourTailFeathers · 22/02/2019 15:56

I had a gum graft about 12 yrs ago - worked a treat (not in UK)

OhHelp0hNo · 22/02/2019 15:57

I have hereditary receding gums, as well as a very crowded jaw.
My bottom middle gums are very severely receded. My previous dentist said I either needed the graft or to have the teeth removed and have a denture. I was 25!!
I switched dentist and my new one did xrays and sent me to the maxillofacial department at the local hospital. Apparently I have very little bone loss so my teeth are stable. As long as I keep the teeth and gums really clean (which I always have done anyway) then I should be ok. 5 years later and they're still fine and the gum has stopped receding. No regrets!

PetraDelphiki · 22/02/2019 15:57

You are me too! Periodontist suggested a procedure using bio collagen without the grafting ...total about £4000. Plus the £2000 for the other dontist type to redo a root canal /apicectomy because there’s signs of bacteria right at the root (no issues for 20+ years mind you) and the god knows how much the orthodontist is going to want for braces to fix my cross bite (that apparently has to be fixed urgently even though no dentist has mentioned it for the past 40!years or so since I got adult teeth)...

So I do wonder...

3luckystars · 22/02/2019 15:58

How much is it?

Hemlock2013 · 22/02/2019 16:00

I have awful receding gums. Happened when I stopped smoking. They are getting worse despite sonicare etc and interdental brushing (albeit sporadically). I’m fairly traumatised by just looking at how far they have receded. I must be close to losing a tooth now. Only late 30s. Really hoping they can do something...

Pugwash1 · 22/02/2019 16:02

Just spoken to a specialist practice in the village where I blimmin live who do this procedure after reading this thread and having been repeatedly told there is no treatment. Have just made appt with dentist to be referred. The specialist clinic didn't tell me the price but seems to be in the region of £400 - £600 per gnasher.

bsc · 22/02/2019 16:06

Interesting! Two of mine are getting dodgy.

WhoAteMyNuts · 22/02/2019 16:07

I had this surgery done about 5 years ago. It's not common in the UK which is why most dentists say there is nothing that can be done but I found a private dental surgeon that had moved here from abroad and was used to doing the surgery. The surgery is very common in other countries, especially the US.

They remove gum from the roof of your mouth and graft it in place. It was expensive (around £1000 for two teeth). The recovery was a couple of weeks of eating soft food but was well worth it as the receding gums were at the front and bothered me so much that I hated smiling.

Receding gums will continue to recede with age but the gum they use in the graft typically doesn't suffer in that way.

Asta19 · 22/02/2019 16:07

I'm feeling so cross now. I could have afforded that and would absolutely have had it done. Why aren't they telling people about this??

WhoAteMyNuts · 22/02/2019 16:10

Oh and now I know where the saying 'long in the tooth' comes from because gums often recede with age and the tooth looks longer. What bothered me about the receding bit was that the tooth where the gum used to be was a different colour and I noticed it every time I smiled.

Oliversmumsarmy · 22/02/2019 16:12

My dentist also told me there was no treatment for receding gums.

I have private dental cover.

Where do you get these dentists that offer it or can at least point you in the direction of someone who would help

wink1970 · 22/02/2019 16:15

@Asta19, so sorry to hear you didn't get to hear abut this. Talk to a specialist, they may be able to place an implant in your hole and graft across the bottom?

Mine was a private dentist; I spent ages finding the right one as I knew my failing crown would need to be replaced with an implant at some stage. He suggested the gum graft, I hadn't heard of this before (I also had a powdered bone graft to help steady the implant). Best thing I have had done!

AornisHades · 22/02/2019 16:15

I was also told that there was no treatment. I have one tooth where the gum is receded. I think I over cleaned because of overcrowding in that bit of my mouth.
I can find £600 so I shall investigate that.

fruityb · 22/02/2019 16:16

I was referred to Sheffield by my dentist for gum grafts. He told me it wasn’t worth doing or some such. I have terrible receding gums on my bottom teeth at the front. I had my malocclusion corrected three years ago but at 34 the damage was done sadly. It won’t get too much worse now but it won’t get better.

My top teeth pushed my bottom teeth out badly and I had braces as a teen - they removed a tooth from the bottom to pull my teeth back. They don’t do this anymore as it doesn’t work (I know this too well!) but because I had space my teeth spread and they look like a row of bombed houses.

I’d have it done if it made mine look better and got rid of the horrendous sensitivity. I don’t know if I’m too far gone though.

WhoAteMyNuts · 22/02/2019 16:18

Several dentists in the past have told me there was no treatment and I was just brushing too hard.

When I talked to the dental surgeon he said that was rubbish and some people just had gums that were prone to recede and actually I needed to up my dental cleaning.

I just googled for dental surgeons and found one that said they did treatment for gum disease. I paid for a private consultation to see what the options were and he recommended the gum graft.

I never even consulted with my normal dentist at the time (can't remember if I ever specifically asked them about treatment) but did confess to the operation on my next checkup and they said what a good job they had done

WhoAteMyNuts · 22/02/2019 16:27

I think there might be different techniques. Just to give you an idea mine was done under sedation. I was aware but 'out of it' at the same time.

They took part of my gum from the roof of my mouth. Peeled a bit of my gum back either side of the affected tooth and basically stitched the graft under the good gum before pulling the health gum back over it. The receding bit in the middle was then covered by the new gum. You look a mess when it's done as your gums are bulky and obviously swollen and stitched but what happens is that they mould back into the right size and shape over the coming weeks. It just looks like normal healthy gum now.

fussychica · 22/02/2019 16:49

I was referred to a specialist gum clinic in Bath by my NSH dentist when I returned from abroad. I had no idea I had any problems as I had been under a dentist abroad without issue. My teeth look great and I have no bleeding so it was a bit of a shock. They did an assessment and decided that major invasive treatment wasn't required and after a mega hygienist appointment I now have hour long appointments 3 or 4 times a year. The recession has been halted and many of the pockets around the teeth have been reduced considerably. It's not cheap at £120 per session but I have gone from thinking I might loose a number of teeth to being confident that they will be around for a while yet. I'm no spring chicken so there is hope.
I would try and find a couple of reputable clinics in your area, preferably with favourable reviews, to get a better idea of the options. Good luck.

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