Receding gums have been described as a sign that a person is not taking sufficient care with their oral health and could lead to problems in the future, it has been claimed.
MC Ortega wrote in her blog for Empowher that gums typically recede over many years, often among the over-40s but sometimes it can begin in the teenage years.
She noted: "Gum recession symptoms include hypersensitive teeth, the roots of the tooth are exposed and visible, the tooth feels notched at the gum line, change in the tooth’s colour and cavities below the gum line."
Elsewhere, research carried out by the Academy of General Dentistry recently showed that the top cause of sensitive teeth is individuals brushing too aggressively.
The study revealed that heavy-handed brushing can rub away the dentin which protects the teeth and could lead them to becoming porous, providing access to underlying nerves and making the teeth painful.