Gum recession getting worse, need advice

[Kass]

Hello everyone,


I suffer from gum recession since september and I've been told by my dentist to use the sonicare electric toothbrush. I find it traumatizes the gums even on the lowest setting and when I use a soft manual toothbrush (advised by another dentist), I find it's not good enough to remove plaque. When brushing I use the down motion on the upper teeth and the up motion on the lower teeth. I also use these motions with the electric brush) What would you personally recommend, electric or manual brush? And how many strokes per area? I also started flossing, if there's any flossing tutorial vid you think is good don't hesitate to send it.

Quick history:

- Diagnosed with recession on left molar on september 20th and told to use Electric brush. Found it too rough after a week and a half of use, so i switched to soft manual

- used soft manual for about 2 months (and sometimes the electric brush) but I think plaque accumulated and made the recession on my molar worse

-got a scaling done end of november at dentist’s in korea, they told me the reason the recession got worse was the electric brush

-once I got back to my dentist at home he said to keep using the electric brush. My upper front teeth gums’ are a bit inflamed now and he said it was because I don’t brush well enough on that side? It’s been about a week since I saw him and continually use the electric brush and my gums are more sensitive, I even now have the start of a recession on the right molar and on the back of one of my canines

And as described in my first paragraph I use the recommended brushing technique, but is it really good, I’m starting to question everything.

Please tell me what you think I’m at a loss

Thank you

 

[Dr M]

Not all electric brushes are beneficial, especially when a patient is suffering from recession. In your case I would rather stick to a manual brush. Consider using an ultra soft brush. Well known brands include Curaprox or Oral- B. Even though these brushes are ultra soft, they still clean your teeth. Try using the circular motion instead.

If the recession increases, there might be additional contributing factors. You might need to consider seeking the advice of a specialist periodontist. They will have a broader look at your case, looking at factors such as systemic diseases, gingival biotypes etc. In severe cases, the recession won't ''heal'' on its own, and you might need to consider surgical augmentation of these sites.

 

[Kass]

Not all electric brushes are beneficial, especially when a patient is suffering from recession. In your case I would rather stick to a manual brush. Consider using an ultra soft brush. Well known brands include Curaprox or Oral- B. Even though these brushes are ultra soft, they still clean your teeth. Try using the circular motion instead.

If the recession increases, there might be additional contributing factors. You might need to consider seeking the advice of a specialist periodontist. They will have a broader look at your case, looking at factors such as systemic diseases, gingival biotypes etc. In severe cases, the recession won't ''heal'' on its own, and you might need to consider surgical augmentation of these sites.

Thank you for the reply. Are you suggestion using the modified bass method? I do have the curaprox and it doesn’t clean off the plaque well enough with the sweeping motions

And for patients with recession do you recommend classical string flossing or other flossing alternatives?

 

[Dr M]

Yes, you can try the modified bass method. How do you know that the curaprox doesn't clean off the plaque efficiently enough?

 

[Kass]

Not all electric brushes are beneficial, especially when a patient is suffering from recession. In your case I would rather stick to a manual brush. Consider using an ultra soft brush. Well known brands include Curaprox or Oral- B. Even though these brushes are ultra soft, they still clean your teeth. Try using the circular motion instead.

If the recession increases, there might be additional contributing factors. You might need to consider seeking the advice of a specialist periodontist. They will have a broader look at your case, looking at factors such as systemic diseases, gingival biotypes etc. In severe cases, the recession won't ''heal'' on its own, and you might need to consider surgical augmentation of these sites.

Thank you for the reply. Are you suggestion using the modified bass method? I do have the curaprox and it doesn’t clean off the plaque well enough with the sweep

And for patients with recession do you recommend classical string flossing or other flossing alternatives?

Yes, you can try the modified bass method. How do you know that the curaprox doesn't clean off the plaque efficiently enough?

Yes, you can try the modified bass method. How do you know that the curaprox doesn't clean off the plaque efficiently enough?

Because there is still visible plaque along my gumlines after using soft manual brushes and my mouth doesn’t feel clean.

 

[dental_care]

Both electric and manual brushes can work, but choosing the right one is key. For sensitive gums like yours, try a softer electric head and gentle, short strokes with minimal pressure. Manual brushing works too, just focus on technique. Flossing is crucial and regular dental visits and personalized advice from your dentist are essential.