Gums can shrink back too—did you know stress might play a role?

hiking403 · 2025-11-27T07:47:18Z

I always figured gum recession was just about brushing too hard or getting older, but apparently stress can be a sneaky culprit too. I read somewhere (can’t remember where, maybe it was a dental blog?) that when you’re stressed, your body’s immune system gets weird and it can actually make your gums more likely to recede. Not saying it’s the only reason, obviously, but it kind of blew my mind. I mean, I grind my teeth at night like it’s my part-time job, and now I’m wondering if that’s why my dentist keeps pointing out my “shrinking” gumline. What’s wild is that I always thought receding gums were just a cosmetic thing—like, yeah, your teeth look longer, whatever. But then my friend told me she had to get these little gum grafts because her teeth were getting super sensitive and it was starting to hurt when she drank cold stuff. She said the procedure wasn’t as scary as she expected, but the recovery was kind of annoying (lots of soft foods and being paranoid about brushing too hard). Anyone else surprised by how many random things can cause gums to recede? Or maybe you’ve had a weird cause nobody warned you about? I feel like every time I go to the dentist now they find something new to blame for my gums slowly packing their bags and leaving…

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Receding Gums & Exposed Root Care

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minimalism_melissa

(@minimalism_melissa)

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Ugh, I totally get it—stress does the weirdest things. My gums went on strike during finals week once, and I was convinced it was just my flossing “technique.” Turns out, stress is like an open bar for bacteria... who knew? At least you caught it early. Hang in there, it usually gets better when life chills out a bit.

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robertpaws107

(@robertpaws107)

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Honestly, I never thought stress could mess with your gums either. I always blamed my brushing or maybe forgetting to floss a night or two. But yeah, stress really does sneak up in weird ways. Have you noticed if things go back to normal once your stress calms down, or do you still have some gum issues lingering after?

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Gums can shrink back too—did you know stress might play a role?

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