Gum recession treatment from a specialist periodontist
What gum recession is, and why the cause matters
Gum recession does not stop on its own. Once the tissue has pulled back from the tooth, the trajectory continues unless the cause is identified and addressed. The four most common drivers are aggressive brushing, untreated gum disease, recession around veneers or restorations, and grinding. Each calls for a different first move, and telling them apart is the diagnostic step the consultation pays for. Treatment ranges from non-surgical care, changing the brushing technique, fitting a night guard, scaling and root planing when disease is the driver, through to gum graft surgery when tissue needs to be rebuilt. The stage of the recession and the cause underneath determine which path is realistic. A specialist consultation with full charting, intraoral photographs, and a CT scan is what gives you that answer.
your journey
Treatment options, from non-surgical to graft
Diagnostic consultation
A full periodontal exam: pocket depths at every site, recession measured tooth by tooth, tissue thickness assessed by hand and on intraoral photographs, mobility checked, occlusion reviewed, and a CT scan when the bone underneath needs to be seen clearly. The diagnosis is what tells us why the recession is happening before we decide what to do about it.
Cause-driven hygiene plan and behavior change
When the cause is aggressive brushing, the first move is changing the technique and the brush itself — soft bristles, lighter pressure, often an electric brush with a pressure sensor. When it is grinding or clenching, a night guard takes the load off the teeth and the gum line stops being abraded. When gum disease is driving the recession, scaling and root planing is what stops the disease from continuing to undermine the tissue. None of these are surgery, and most cases improve once the cause is removed.
Monitoring with photographs and measurements
Whether the case is being managed non-surgically or being prepared for grafting, the recession is tracked over time with the same intraoral photographs and recession measurements taken at the first visit. That is how we know whether the recession has actually halted, or whether it is still creeping and the next step needs to be made.
Gum graft surgery when grafting is warranted
When the recession is severe enough that tissue needs to be rebuilt — root surface exposed, sensitivity not settling, or the recession threatening the long-term hold of the tooth — grafting becomes the right answer. Pinhole or traditional gum graft surgery, decided by the diagnosis. The full surgical breakdown lives on our gum graft surgery page.
Long-term maintenance to protect the result
A treated recession only stays treated if the conditions that caused it are kept under control. Periodontal patients move onto a recall schedule built around the long horizon — typically every three to four months rather than the standard six — with the cause-side of the case revisited at every visit, not just the cleaning.
why this practice
Why specialist treatment matters
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Stops progression before tooth structure is at risk
Recession does not pause on its own. Catching it at the diagnostic depth a specialist works at, and removing the cause early, is the difference between a case that settles and a case that quietly walks toward a tooth that needs a graft, a root canal, or eventually replacement.
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Addresses sensitivity at the gum line
Exposed root surfaces are the most common source of sharp sensitivity to cold, brushing, and air. Treating the recession at the cause — and re-covering the root with healthy tissue when grafting is the right move — settles that sensitivity for the long term rather than masking it.
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Protects the gum line for cosmetic work
When recession is happening around veneers, crowns, or other restorations, the cosmetic work above the gum line is only as durable as the tissue under it. Stabilizing the recession is what keeps the cosmetic case looking right years after it was made — rather than slowly exposing the margin or the cement line.
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Avoids unnecessary surgery through early intervention
A specialist does not jump to the graft when the case can be managed without one. Mild and early-moderate recession is often best treated by removing the cause first, monitoring with photographs and measurements, and only escalating to surgery when the case actually calls for it.
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Durable graft when surgery is the right call
When grafting is genuinely the right answer, specialist case selection — pinhole vs traditional, donor source, surgical execution — is what separates a graft that holds for decades from one that quietly relapses in a few years. The technique is decided by the diagnosis, not by what was easiest to sell.
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Long-horizon thinking for the next 10 to 30 years
Dental work has to last 10, 20, even 30 years to be worth the investment. PIHP plans gum recession cases on that timeline — preserving what is healthy, intervening only when intervention is the honest answer, and keeping the case under specialist eyes for the long horizon.
How we care
The four causes of gum recession
Recession does not have one cause, and the right treatment depends on which driver is at work. The diagnostic step at the consultation is what separates the four — and that is what tells us which lane the case is in.
Aggressive brushing
Over-firm bristles, a heavy hand, or an aggressive scrubbing technique are the most common cause we see in patients who otherwise look after their teeth well. The damage is mechanical, the gum line is worn back tooth by tooth, and the first move is changing the brush and the technique before any surgery is considered.
Gum disease
Recession as a downstream consequence of untreated periodontitis. The gum is pulling back because the bone and attachment underneath have been lost to inflammation, and treating the disease itself — scaling and root planing, sometimes periodontal surgery — has to come before any thought of grafting. Grafting onto an actively diseased site does not hold.
Recession after veneers or other restorations
When the margin of a veneer, crown, or filling sits at or under the gum line, or when cement or contour irritates the tissue, the gum can recede away from the work over the months and years that follow. This is the patient-journey angle Dr. Rodriguez sees often in Downtown LA, and the dedicated resource page walks through how to assess and manage it.
Grinding and clenching
Bruxism loads the teeth in a way they were not built for, and the gum line at the neck of the tooth gets abraded over the years — a pattern often described as abfraction. A night guard takes the load off and is usually a non-negotiable first step before any restorative or surgical work on a case where grinding is in play.
What our patients say
- 5 out of 5 stars. “Speaking as a patient of Dr. Rodriguez for the past 18 months, I take the greatest pleasure in recommending the team at Perio Implant Professionals without reservation. I have received expert care and my oral health has never been better.” — Clive, Los Angeles
- 5 out of 5 stars. “My experiences with Perio Implants have always been exceptional. The entire staff is very professional, personable, polite and kind. Dr. Rodriguez is very skilled, knowledgeable, thorough and simply the best. I would definitely refer everyone to Perio Implant Health Professionals.” — Geri, Los Angeles
- 5 out of 5 stars. “I have been coming to PIHP for a few years now and from the first moment I called till this day, it is always a pleasurable, and professional experience. I have had deep cleaning as well as oral surgery performed here and everything is always well explained, in person as well as on paper. Great communication from the whole team. I ALMOST look forward to coming there.” — Michael, Los Angeles
- 5 out of 5 stars. “The entire team, with Dr. Rodriguez leading the way, has made my experience a very positive one. They are incredibly kind and caring when it comes to each individual patient, and they have been with me through quite some challenges.” — Rolando, Los Angeles
- 5 out of 5 stars. “They handle my regular care and oral surgery. Cannot imagine better care. Very professional, competent, always running on schedule, cheerful and friendly.” — Otto, Los Angeles
- 5 out of 5 stars. “I was skeptical before I got to the office, but from the moment I arrived all my questions were answered and explained very clearly. They told me all my options and made me feel at ease with the whole process.” — Hugo, Los Angeles
- 5 out of 5 stars. “Everyone in the office is super nice and friendly. They take really good care of their patients. Always on time with their appointments. Office is really neat and clean.” — Maria, Los Angeles
- 5 out of 5 stars. “Despite the reality that I never want to HAVE to see a periodontist, seeing these folx is the best it gets. Everyone is lovely, upfront, and comforting.” — Rebecca, Los Angeles
- 5 out of 5 stars. “Excellent and professional doctor and staff. You will be fortunate to have this doctor and staff take care of your dental needs. You will not be disappointed. Staff are very considerate and kind.” — Teresa, Los Angeles
- 5 out of 5 stars. “Great people abound in this office. Professional to the T, yet very personable and friendly. I actually enjoy going there because the customer interaction is so genuine.” — Tracy, Los Angeles
- 5 out of 5 stars. “Trustworthy, professional, yet very easy-going. Feel comfortable being treated by Dr. Rodriguez and by his staff.” — Yvonne, Los Angeles
- 5 out of 5 stars. “Gentle, totally state of the art procedures and technology. No more loathing and fear.” — Sharon, Los Angeles
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