Gum Recession Treatment
Teaneck, NJ & Roselle, NJ
 If your teeth are starting to look longer than they used to, your gums feel like they’re pulling back from the teeth, or hot and cold drinks make you wince, you may be dealing with gum recession. RJ Dental treats gum recession in Teaneck and Roselle, NJ for patients across the spectrum, from people who just noticed the change to people who’ve been dealing with sensitivity and root exposure for a while. The right treatment depends on what’s actually causing the recession, and that’s something we figure out at your first visit.
Recession is one of those problems people often dismiss as cosmetic. It is partly cosmetic, but it’s mostly functional. Once the gums pull back, the exposed root surface is more vulnerable to decay, more sensitive to temperature, and harder to keep clean. If recession keeps progressing, you can lose the bone support around the teeth, and eventually the teeth themselves. That’s the part patients don’t always hear about until it’s late.
The other thing worth saying up front is that recession is not always gum disease. Sometimes it is. But sometimes it’s brushing technique, sometimes it’s grinding, sometimes it’s the way your bite distributes force, and sometimes it’s the thickness of the gum tissue you were born with. The treatment is different for each. This page walks through what causes recession, when it’s manageable with behavior changes, and when it needs procedural treatment. Same-day appointments and periodontal care consultations are available at both offices.
On This Page
What Causes Gum Recession
 Gum recession happens when the gum tissue surrounding the teeth pulls back, exposing more of the tooth or its root. The cause matters more than the recession itself, because the treatment depends entirely on what’s driving the gum to move. We see recession come from five main sources, and many patients have more than one.
1. Mechanical Trauma (Aggressive Brushing)
The single most common cause we see is brushing too hard or with a brush that’s too stiff. The gum tissue is delicate, and consistent abrasive pressure over years wears it down the same way water wears down stone. Patients who came up in an era when "scrub harder" was the message, or who use a hard-bristled brush, often present with recession concentrated on the outside surfaces of the teeth they brush most aggressively.
2. Periodontal Disease
Gum recession from periodontal disease is different. The recession is driven by inflammation, infection, and bone loss around the tooth, not by external forces. Periodontal recession often comes with bleeding gums, persistent bad breath, deep pockets, and looseness in the affected teeth. This kind of recession needs the underlying disease addressed, not just behavioral changes.
3. Occlusal Trauma and Bruxism
When you grind your teeth or your bite is putting uneven forces on certain teeth, the bone and gum tissue around those teeth respond by remodeling, often by receding. Patients with bruxism frequently develop recession on the canines and premolars where lateral grinding forces are highest. A custom night guard is part of the treatment when bruxism is contributing.
4. Thin Gum Biotype
Some patients are born with naturally thin gum tissue. Thin biotype gums are more susceptible to recession from any cause: even normal brushing pressure or routine orthodontic forces can cause recession in patients whose gum tissue is genetically thin. This isn’t a behavior problem; it’s an anatomic predisposition.
5. Orthodontic Movement
Recession can develop during or after orthodontic treatment, particularly when teeth are moved outside the natural bone envelope or when the gum tissue was thin to begin with. We check for early signs of recession during follow-up visits if you’ve had recent orthodontic treatment.
Recession Is Different from Active Gum Disease
This distinction matters. Gum recession means the tissue has pulled back. Active periodontal disease means there is current inflammation and bone loss. You can have one without the other. Many patients have stable recession from years of aggressive brushing with no active disease at all; the recession is there, but it isn’t progressing. Other patients have active periodontal disease with or without visible recession. The treatment is different for each, and our first job is sorting out which situation you’re actually in.
Your Care Team for Gum Recession Treatment in NJ
Gum recession treatment at RJ Dental draws on different parts of our four-dentist team depending on what’s causing the recession in your case. The diagnosis side is straightforward and handled at any of our offices; the treatment side may involve a hygienist, our oral surgeon, or coordinated care across the team.
Dr. Linda Hunponu-Wusu, DMD earned her DMD at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in 2006 and continues advanced education in cosmetic dentistry, root canal, crowns and bridges, and Invisalign. More on Dr. Hunponu-Wusu’s bio. Our team handles the diagnostic workup, the behavioral coaching for technique correction, and the long-term monitoring, because most recession cases respond to better technique and consistent maintenance rather than to procedural intervention.
For cases where the recession needs surgical treatment, Dr. Shahin Ghobadi leads on the procedural side. His postgraduate Oral Surgery residency at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center and his AAOMS membership are what let us handle the surgical options in-house instead of referring out. Details on Dr. Ghobadi’s bio.
Dr. Richard E. Buffong, DMD, FICOI, the practice owner, oversees treatment planning across both offices, with full background on Dr. Buffong’s bio. Dr. Jeannine Stephenson-Buffong, DMD trained at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, with her bio online for reference. Among the four of us we cover diagnosis, hygiene coaching, occlusal evaluation when grinding is involved, and the surgical options when the case calls for them.
How We Diagnose and Treat Gum Recession
 The treatment path for gum recession starts with figuring out what’s causing it, then matching the treatment to the cause. Some cases never need a procedure. Some do. We don’t recommend surgery before we’ve ruled out the simpler interventions, because surgery for the wrong cause won’t solve the problem.
1. Diagnostic Visit and Cause Identification
The first step is determining what’s actually driving the recession. We measure how much recession is present at each tooth, check probing depths to rule out active periodontal disease, examine your bite for signs of occlusal trauma, look at your brushing habits and the brush you’re using, and review your medical and orthodontic history. The Cone Beam CT scan helps when we need to see exactly how much bone support is left around the affected teeth.
2. Behavioral and Hygiene Adjustments (Early Cases)
For mild recession with no active disease, the right first step is changing what’s causing it. If aggressive brushing is the culprit, we switch you to a soft-bristled brush, teach an adjusted technique, and recheck the recession at your next maintenance visit. Recession from brushing rarely reverses, but it almost always stops progressing once the cause is removed. For patients who notice sensitivity from exposed root surfaces, fluoride application and desensitizing toothpaste at home usually take care of the discomfort within a few weeks.
3. Occlusal Management (When Grinding Is Involved)
If grinding or clenching is contributing, we fit a custom night guard that redistributes force during sleep and protects the gums from the lateral pressure that drives recession. Bite adjustment is also an option in some cases. Treating the bite problem is what stops the recession from progressing, separately from anything we do to the gum tissue itself.
4. Surgical Treatment for Advanced Cases
When the recession is severe enough to threaten the tooth, when sensitivity isn’t responding to non-surgical measures, or when there’s cosmetic concern in the smile zone, gum grafting is the standard surgical option. The procedure takes tissue from elsewhere in your mouth (or from a tissue bank) and grafts it over the recessed area to restore the gum line. This is a single-session procedure we perform in our office under local anesthesia.
Gum grafting isn’t right for every case of recession. The decision is based on how much recession is present, whether it’s progressing, whether sensitivity is a problem, and whether cosmetic restoration matters to you. We’ll be honest about whether your case is one where surgery adds value or whether stopping the cause is enough on its own.
5. Periodontal Maintenance and Monitoring
After treatment of any kind, you transition into a periodontal maintenance schedule that includes monitoring the recession at each visit. If the recession stays stable, that confirms we identified the right cause. If it continues progressing, we revisit the diagnosis and consider whether something we missed is still active.
Why Treating Gum Recession Matters
The most common misconception about gum recession is that it’s a cosmetic problem. Cosmetics are part of it, but the functional consequences are what justify the consultation. Untreated recession can lead to real clinical problems that cost more to fix than the original recession would have.
You Reduce Sensitivity
Exposed root surface is dramatically more sensitive than enamel-covered tooth. Recession that has reached the root explains the sharp pain a lot of patients feel when they drink something cold or sweet. Treating the recession, or in early cases just stopping its cause and applying desensitizing measures, usually resolves the sensitivity within a few weeks at our practice.
You Protect Against Root Cavities
The root surface doesn’t have enamel, so it’s much more vulnerable to decay than the rest of the tooth. Root caries develop faster, run deeper sooner, and are harder to restore than enamel cavities. Stopping recession early or covering the exposed root with a graft is one of the few effective ways to reduce that decay risk, and our hygiene team will work with you on the home care that keeps the exposed surfaces clean in the meantime.
You Preserve Bone Support
Recession is sometimes a visible marker of bone loss happening underneath. The gum and the bone supporting the tooth move together; when you see the gum recede, the bone is often receding too. Preserving the bone is what keeps the tooth stable long-term. When recession is caught early at our practice, we have a real chance to stop the bone loss before it threatens the tooth itself.
You Address the Cosmetic Concern
For patients in whom the recession is visible in the smile, gum grafting at our practice can restore the gum line to a more even, healthy appearance. We’re honest about this: cosmetics alone isn’t always reason enough to undergo surgery, but for patients whose recession bothers them visually, the cosmetic benefit is real and the procedure is well-tested. We discuss expected cosmetic outcome with you in advance so there are no surprises.
Why Choose Our Practice for Gum Recession Care
What separates RJ Dental for gum recession care is that we can manage the full range of cases, from the patient who needs better brushing technique and a fluoride rinse to the patient who needs surgical grafting, without referring you out partway through. The same team that diagnoses your recession handles the hygiene coaching, the night guard fabrication, and the surgical procedure when it’s needed.
Our in-house oral surgeon means surgical grafting cases stay in-house rather than going to a periodontist at a separate office. Our Cone Beam CT imaging is what lets us see bone level around the affected teeth and understand whether the recession is purely soft-tissue or whether bone loss is involved. Our 3D printer also fabricates the night guards we use for patients whose recession is linked to grinding, often without sending the case out to a separate lab.
We also use the consultation as a checkpoint. Many patients who arrive worried about recession discover that with better technique and consistent maintenance, no procedure is needed yet. We’d rather have that conversation honestly than recommend a graft that isn’t going to change the outcome.
Both offices serve different geographies. Teaneck handles North Jersey patients near Bergenfield, Englewood, Fort Lee, and Hackensack. Roselle handles Central Jersey patients near Elizabeth, Linden, Cranford, and Westfield. You can be seen at whichever office is closer.
Cost and Insurance for Gum Recession Treatment
We’ll be straight with you about cost. Treatment for gum recession ranges widely because the treatments themselves range widely. A consultation, technique coaching, and a desensitizing protocol cost dramatically less than a surgical graft. After we identify the cause and recommend a treatment, we’ll walk through the specific plan and what each part costs before you commit.
Most dental insurance plans cover a portion of diagnostic visits, periodontal maintenance, night guards, and surgical grafting when it’s clinically necessary. The exact coverage depends on your plan. We participate with Delta Dental Premier, MetLife, Guardian, Horizon Blue Cross & Blue Shield Traditional, Aetna PPO, United Concordia, and others, with the full list on our insurance and financing options. We verify your benefits before treatment so you know your share in advance.
For patients without insurance, our dental discount plan reduces the cost of exams, X-rays, and major work by up to 20%. Financing is also available through Sunbit, CareCredit, or LendingPoint with flexible monthly payments. The goal is to make whichever level of treatment your case needs accessible enough that cost isn’t the deciding factor.
Schedule a Gum Recession Consultation
Worried about receding gums or sensitivity from exposed roots? Let’s figure out what’s causing it. Call our Teaneck office at (551) 369-2001 or our Roselle office at (908) 488-5005 to schedule a consultation. You can also request an appointment online and we’ll reach out promptly. Our Teaneck office is at 865 Teaneck Rd, Teaneck, NJ 07666. Our Roselle office is at 121-125 Chestnut St, Suite 201, Roselle, NJ 07203.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if my recession is from gum disease or just brushing too hard?
There are clinical signs that point one way or the other. Bleeding gums, deep pockets, persistent bad breath, and looseness in the affected teeth point toward periodontal disease as the driver. Recession concentrated on the outer surfaces of the teeth you brush most aggressively, with stable bone levels and no bleeding, points toward mechanical trauma. We use probing depths, X-rays, and a Cone Beam CT scan when needed to confirm the answer at your first visit. Patients usually fit clearly into one pattern or the other, though some have both contributing.
Can gum recession be reversed?
Recession itself rarely reverses on its own; the gum tissue that has pulled back generally doesn’t grow back. What we can do is stop the recession from progressing further and, for cases where the recession is severe enough to justify it, surgically replace the lost tissue with a gum graft. For most patients with mild recession from brushing technique, stopping the progression is the realistic goal. For more advanced cases or cases with cosmetic concerns, grafting can restore the appearance and function of the gum line.
Do I really need surgery?
Most likely no, but it depends on the case. The patients who genuinely need gum grafting are those with severe recession that’s threatening the tooth, persistent sensitivity unresponsive to non-surgical care, or visible recession in the smile zone that bothers them cosmetically. For mild recession with no active disease and no sensitivity, behavioral changes and monitoring are usually enough. We do not recommend grafting for patients who don’t need it.
How can I tell if my recession is getting worse?
The most reliable way is consistent measurement at maintenance visits. We chart the gum level at each tooth at every appointment and compare against your baseline. Visually, look for the colored line on your teeth where the gum meets the enamel. If it’s moving lower year over year, the recession is progressing. Increasing sensitivity to temperature or sweets on a specific tooth is another sign that more root is becoming exposed. If you notice either at home, let us know at your next visit so we can re-evaluate the cause.
Will gum grafting hurt?
You shouldn’t feel pain during the grafting procedure because we numb the area completely with local anesthesia before any incision. We perform gum grafting under local anesthesia. We don’t offer sedation dentistry, and local anesthesia is enough for the large majority of patients. After the procedure, mild to moderate soreness for several days is normal, especially at the donor site if we took tissue from another part of your mouth. The discomfort responds well to over-the-counter pain medication or a short prescription if needed.
How long does grafted tissue last?
A successfully integrated gum graft typically lasts decades or for life when the cause of the original recession has been addressed. The risk factor is recurrence: if you continue brushing too hard, grinding without a night guard, or letting periodontal disease go untreated, the new graft can recede the same way the original gum did. The maintenance schedule and the behavioral changes we work out at your visit are what make the graft hold long-term.
How much does gum recession treatment cost?
We can’t give an accurate number without knowing what your case actually needs, because treatment ranges from a consultation and updated home-care plan at the low end to surgical grafting at the higher end. After the diagnostic visit, we’ll walk through the specific recommended treatment and the cost at each stage before any procedure starts. Insurance, our dental discount plan, and financing through Sunbit, CareCredit, or LendingPoint are all options to make care affordable.
Can I prevent more recession?
Yes, for most cases. The biggest factors you can control are brushing technique, the type of brush you use (soft-bristled, not medium or hard), and consistent periodontal maintenance visits to catch problems early. If grinding is part of your picture, wearing the night guard we make for you matters. If periodontal disease is contributing, keeping up with your maintenance schedule is what prevents the disease from flaring and causing more recession. None of this guarantees you’ll never see more recession, but the combination meaningfully reduces the rate. |
