Why Your Gums Are Receding and What's Actually Causing It

You were told your gums are receding. Many dentists will recommend covering them. But at Oraderm, we always ask one question first: why?

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Gum Recession Is a Symptom, Not a Diagnosis

Gum recession doesn't just happen. Something is driving it. In most cases there are three main contributing factors — and they rarely act alone.

01

Gum disease

The most common driver of recession. Bacterial infection breaks down the support around your teeth, and the gum margin recedes as that support is lost. This is where most recession begins.

02

Brushing trauma

Years of brushing too hard or with bristles that are too firm physically damages the gum tissue at the margin. The damage builds gradually, and most patients don't notice until the recession is already visible. One of the most common and most preventable contributing factors.

03

Bite force

When the bite is out of balance, certain teeth absorb more force than they should. This doesn't cause recession on its own but when gum disease or brushing damage is already present, uneven bite forces can accelerate it. That's why the bite is part of every recession evaluation we do.

These factors rarely act alone. In most cases recession comes from a combination — and bite force usually accelerates damage that has already started, rather than causing it on its own. This is why the treatment that holds is the one that addresses the cause, not just the result.

The Most Common Mistake in Recession Treatment

Covering recession without treating the cause is just buying time.

"The graft heals beautifully. Then six months later it starts to recede again. We've seen this in patients who've had gum surgery."

— A pattern we see in patients who've had multiple gum surgeries without the underlying cause being addressed.

Each procedure was technically well done. But the factors that caused the recession in the first place were still there. The graft never had a stable foundation to hold on to.

What We Look For First at Oraderm

Before we recommend any procedure, we want to understand the full picture. We look at your gum health, your bite, and the forces at play in your mouth — because gums, teeth, and bite are one connected system. A problem in one area creates stress in the others.

We don't start with what to do. We start with why it's happening.

PST — The Procedure, and When It's Right

Pinhole Surgical Technique (PST) is a minimally invasive procedure that covers exposed roots through a small entry point in the gum. No cutting. No sutures. Recovery is faster and more comfortable than traditional gum grafting.

Dr. Marie Syjuco was the first PST-certified dentist in the Philippines, trained directly by the procedure's founder, Dr. John Chao. But PST isn't for everyone. It requires gum stability and bite control first. Recommending it before those conditions are met leads to the kind of relapse we see too often.

PST is the right answer — for the right patient, at the right time, after the right foundation is in place.

Ready to Find Out What's Actually Driving Yours?

If you have gum recession and want to understand your options, the first step is a Smile and Oral Health Assessment in our clinic. We look at what's driving the recession and tell you honestly: whether you're a candidate for PST, what needs to happen first, and what the timeline looks like.

No pressure. Just the full picture.

Book your Smile Assessment

Start with the why. Everything else follows.

Dr. Marie sees patients in Quezon City and Makati. If your gums are receding and you haven't had a full assessment of the cause — that's exactly where we start.

 · The Clubhouse at Temple Drive, Corinthian Hills QC

 · Medical Towers Makati (Wednesdays 10–2pm)

DM us PST and we'll walk you through what the assessment includes.

or call us to schedule your assessment · www.oradermclinic.com