My dentist suggested changing toothpastes to my husband. Almost everyone's gums recede as they age.

I have had the scraping and deep cleaning done...quite a few years ago now.

It helped a lot....and made me a better teeth brusher and flosser. ;) But, yes,

age does mean gum receding. What kind of shape have your teeth been

in most of your life? And, how well have you tried to take care of them?

I had a problem with one crown where the gum had receded. Dentist told me 'More brushing'.

Well, I brushed like crazy. No difference.

Then I bought a different type of toothbrush--impulse buy when I was in Family Dollar to pick up some rice. By the third day of using the new brush, I could already tell a big difference. A month later, a huge difference.

Aim Massage Pro Toothbrush

https://www.amazon.com/Aim%C2%AE-Massage-Toothbrush-Soft-6-Pack/dp/B00TP000GK

Those little rubber fingers/ flanges evidently make all the difference.

I'm afraid I've been TOO scrupulous -- brushing too frequently. I wanted to avoid extra visits to the dentist during Covid, especially since the blood cancer treatments supress my immune system. My gums had always been better than my teeth. I have very few unaltered teeth (without fillings or crowns). No fluoridated water in my youth!

I don't think scraping is indicated. I don't see infection, just gum loss.

I had surgery after Chemotherapy about 30 years ago. He peeled the gum away from the teeth and sutured them up so they healed in a higher position. I had always had great healthy gums but they took a beating with my treatments. It helped with pocketing. Who know what they are doing now but it wasnt bad to go through.

Chisue: I have a dental background, so maybe I can answer a couple of your questions. It IS common for gums to recede a bit as we get older. If you don't have periodontal disease (and it doesn't sound like you do) your problem may be caused by overzealous brushing and/or using the wrong technique. Be sure that you are using a soft toothbrush--those hard toothbrushes really cause problems. (good toothbrush brands are Oral B, Colgate, etc. They should say SOFT on the package) Also, brush in a gentle circular motion on each tooth. Brushing back and forth aggressively will definitely cause recession, and will even wear away tooth enamel over time. As far as frequency, 3 times a day is plenty. Brushing before bed is most important.

As a side note, please check with your cancer doctor--I'm pretty sure that with a compromised immune system any oral surgery would NOT be recommended.

Anyway, hope this info helps a little. Good luck at your dental appointment!

I've started buying SOFT bristle toothebrushes. DS flattens his tooth brush bristles. Brushes way too hard.

Thank you, my reliable and *knowlegable* Table pals! I'm back from the cleaning. No surgery recommended, and compliments on how *beautifully* I care for my teeth. Wow! I've finally got it right; only took decades. OK, so I still have the age-related (maybe MM-related) recession, but no treatments are indicated. I'll go back Thursday to have three front teeth 'bulked up' a little; the interior backing and edges have worn down. Bye-bye $1400 for today and Thursday.

IMO the recession is getting worse due to dryness. My mouth won't stay closed overnight. It's a combination of sinus troubles blocking my nose and some kind of new 'floppy jaw'. I'll resume using paper tape across my lips. It's annoying, but it should limit the damage from dry tissue.

chisue, I've had gum recession surgery. Just wanted to say, in case you ever do need it, it was painless with easy recovery. In my case, they used skin from the roof of my mouth for the grafting. I know it sounds bad but truly wasn't.

chloebud -- Thank you. That's very encouraging. Reading about it was NOT. haha

I did see that there's also omething else, called Pinhole Surgery. Let's hope neither of us has to find out any more!