Receding Gums vs Healthy Gums: See the Differences with Images

Receding gums are a common concern, especially as we age. Around 90% of adults over 65 experience gum recession on at least one tooth!

The first step is to identify the problem—and understand what’s causing it. Fortunately, distinguishing healthy gums from receding gums isn’t too difficult.

By the end of this article, you’ll know exactly how to identify gum recession and the most common risk factors.

Healthy Gums vs. Receding Gums: The Key Differences

Beyond clean, white teeth, healthy gums are just as important for a beautiful smile. Even if your teeth are perfectly aligned, issues with your gums can be noticeable and affect your smile appearance.

Healthy gums typically have a pale pink color, though this can vary. People with darker skin tones may have brownish pigmentation due to melanin production.

They should also be firm to the touch. When you press gently with your finger, healthy gums should offer some resistance. If gums become inflamed, they soften and may feel loose.

Another key feature of healthy gums is how the gum line fits around the teeth. It should hug each tooth snugly and have a smooth and regular contour. With gum disease, the gum line often becomes uneven, with some areas appearing higher or lower than others.

If your gums start to recede, you’ll begin to notice some changes. Here are the most obvious signs.

1. Exposed Roots

Our teeth are divided into two main parts:

• The crown, which is the visible top portion.
• The root, which are normally covered by healthy gums.

These two parts meet at the neck of the tooth, a collar-like area that marks the transition between them.

When gums are healthy, only the crown is visible, and the neck and roots remain well covered. However, when gums recede, the neck becomes exposed, creating a noticeable narrowing near the base of the tooth.

The worse the gum recession, the more of the tooth root becomes exposed. Since roots are naturally darker and narrower than the crown, this creates a noticeable contrast.

Your teeth may then start to look longer than before, posing a cosmetic challenge that can be difficult to conceal.

2. Uneven Gum Line

Another common sign of gum recession is an uneven gum line. Instead of smoothly contouring each tooth, receding gums can create noticeable asymmetries, where some areas are higher or lower than others.

The more it progresses, the more noticeable it becomes, and the harder it is to restore.

3. Black Triangles

This is when recession affects the gums between your teeth, called interdental papillae.

In healthy gums, the interdental papilla (a small, triangular gum projection) fills the spaces between teeth. When gum recession causes this tissue to shrink or pull away, dark gaps begin to appear, commonly known as black triangles.

These gaps can be quite noticeable, especially when you smile or talk, making them one of the major cosmetic concerns.

4. With or Without Inflammation

Whether or not gum recession comes with inflammation depends on its cause.

If plaque buildup is the real culprit, you may notice signs of inflammation and gum disease such as redness, swelling, and bleeding. This happens because bacteria in plaque damage the gums and bone, leading to inflammation and gradual tissue destruction.

However, not all gum recession involves inflammation. In some cases, gums can recede while still appearing healthy. This means there may be no swelling or signs of inflammation, yet the gums continue to pull away over time.

How? This happens when gum recession is caused by physical trauma rather than bacterial infection. These include:

• Brushing too hard or using a hard-bristle toothbrush
• A tooth that sits too high constantly rubs against the gums
• Wearing a lip or tongue piercing

5. Tooth Sensitivity

Gum recession and tooth sensitivity are two issues that almost always go hand in hand.

That’s because tooth roots contain tiny pores (dentinal tubules) that lead directly to the nerve inside the tooth.

When gums recede and expose these roots, they lose their natural protection. Anything you put in your mouth—hot, cold, sweet, or sour foods and drinks—can reach the nerve endings and trigger discomfort.

This sensitivity is often felt as a sharp, short pain that fades as soon as the source of irritation is removed.

Some Commonly Associated Factors

Gum recession often results from several risk factors acting together.

Having one or more of these factors doesn’t necessarily mean your gums will recede, but it can significantly increase your risk.

These risk factors include:

High Frenum Attachment

The frenum is a small, triangular-shaped piece of soft tissue that connects your lips to your gums. You can easily see it by lifting your lips.

In some cases, the frenum attaches too high to the gum line, creating constant tension. Over time, this tension can pull the gum tissue away from the teeth.

Thin Gums

Your gingival biotype—the natural thickness of your gums—is mostly determined by genetics. Some people have thick, tough gums, while others have thin, delicate gums.

Those with a thin gingival biotype are more vulnerable to gum recession, as their gums are less resistant to external forces like brushing or chewing pressures.

Dental Crowding

Misaligned or crowded teeth are often associated with gum recession for two main reasons:

• Crowded teeth easily retain plaque and are harder to clean.
• When a tooth is tilted forward or out of alignment, it may lack gum and bony support on one side. The weaker side is then more prone to recession.

Poor Oral Hygiene

Not brushing and flossing daily doesn’t just increase your risk of gum recession—it can also lead to other forms of gum disease, cavities, bad breath, and many other dental issues.

The reason is: Plaque buildup.

Plaque is a soft, bacteria-filled film that constantly forms on your teeth. If it’s not removed regularly, harmful bacteria can invade the gums, causing inflammation, receding gums, and even break down the bone supporting your teeth.

Over time, this can lead to loose or shifting teeth—or worse, tooth loss.

What Can Happen If Receding Gums Are Left Untreated?

The answer depends on the underlying causes and whether the recession is stable or actively progressing.

If the recession is due to plaque-related gum disease, which causes inflammation, delaying treatment will only lead to further damage. These forms of gum disease cannot be treated at home and will not heal on their own.

The standard treatment for most gum disease is scaling and root planing. It's a procedure that removes plaque and infected tissue from both above and deep below the gum line.

However, if the recession is caused by trauma or chronic irritation, such as aggressive brushing or ill-fitting dental work, addressing the source of the trauma will usually stop further gum recession.

As you can see, all treatment approaches focus on addressing the underlying cause. Only after this can root coverage through gum surgery be considered.

How to Stop Further Damage

To prevent further damage, it’s important to address the two main triggers: plaque-induced gum disease and trauma.

1. Treat gum disease

Plaque buildup is the main culprit behind gum disease. The only way to beat it is through professional cleaning and regular oral hygiene.

• Deep dental cleaning: This is the only way to treat advanced gum disease that has caused gum recession and bone loss. Performed by your dentist, the procedure cleans the deeper areas that regular brushing and flossing cannot reach.
• Brush regularly: Use a soft-bristled toothbrush and brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste.
• Floss daily: This helps remove plaque from between teeth that your toothbrush can’t reach.
• Regular dental checkups: Visit your dentist regularly for professional cleanings to monitor the progress of gum disease and remove tartar, which is extremely sticky and difficult to remove at home.

2. Eliminate trauma

Trauma is another big trigger of gingival recession. The key to tackling this is to treat your gums more gently.

• Avoid aggressive brushing: Use gentle, circular motions and a soft-bristled brush.
• Correct faulty dental work: If your dental appliances or fillings are causing irritation, speak to your dentist about adjustments.
• Fix bad habits: Stop habits like teeth grinding or biting hard objects, which can stress your gums.

3. Addressing other risk factors

Some risk factors that make your gums more vulnerable should also be addressed. For example, if the frenum tissue attachment is too high, a frenectomy may be needed. Likewise, if dental crowding or an improper bite is contributing to the recession, orthodontic treatment may be necessary to straighten your teeth and correct the problem.