How to hide gum recession? Is it worth trying composite bonding?

[teethtrouble]

I have terrible gum recession on my front lower teeth. It's really affecting my appearance and self-confidence. There's approx 1cm of orange discolouration between the gum and my teeth. The dentist told me this was due to gum recession and gingivitis (rather than poor brushing or neglect).
How can I get rid of the discolouration? Would composite bonding be a good idea?
The dentist was trying to persuade me to get invisilign braces to straigten the affected teeth.. Tbh, the teeth in question aren't very crooked so I don't want to pay thousands to straighten them. I explained I'm on a tight budget, minimum wage and single parent etc but the dentist wouldn't drop it... He was saying "you can pay on a convenient payment plan" blah blah. Pushy "sales" talk. I said no.
How can I hide the gum recession in the most purse-friendly way?!
I've tried scraping away the discolouration with sharp nail scissors and tweezers but nothing works.

Interested in the answers too. What is composite bonding?

I'm in a similar boat, mine are so bad on the bottom I'm scared I'll lose my teeth. I'm looking into a gum graft

Your dentist said your receding gums are the result of gingivitis but that's not neglect? So what is it then? Receding gums are caused by bone loss, which results when gingivitis develops into periodontal disease, generally the result of poor gum hygiene due to poor or no flossing/interdental cleaning.

I'm also surprised a dentist recommended orthodontic treatment for someone with potential periodontal problems. No orthodontist would treat someone with active gum disease.

You could try composite bonding but again, you need to fix your periodontal health first, it sounds like you'd benefit from seeing a dental hygienist or therapist for a clean, then ensure you floss and use interdental brushes to prevent further gum recession.

It sounds like the roots of your teeth are exposed, do you struggle with sensitivity? The darker stuff you mention could be calculus.

Also stop scraping your teeth! You will damage them.

A friend of mine had a gum graft. It worked really well and she is happy with the results but I think they are only for pretty extreme cases.

The very thought of that and the pain involved makes me feel quite ill, but I’d still have it done.

The discolouration is the roots of your teeth exposed due to the gum recession. Are you under a periodontist and/or having regular deep cleaning? If not you should be receiving this to control any active gum disease before you consider anything else. And please don't scrape away at your teeth that won't help!