Technique change and monitoring
For mild, stable recession with an obvious brushing cause. A soft brush, a gentler stroke and measurements at each check-up.
Part of examination
Gum health · Wimpole Street, Marylebone
Receding gums treatment in Marylebone: stopping the retreat and protecting exposed roots
Gum recession is the gum margin moving down the root, exposing a yellower, softer surface that was never meant to see daylight. The tooth looks longer, cold drinks sting, and the root, which lacks enamel, decays and wears more readily than the crown above it. Causes range from over-enthusiastic brushing and thin gum tissue to gum disease, grinding and teeth that sit outside the bone. Lost gum does not grow back on its own, so treatment has two aims: find and remove whatever is driving the recession, then decide whether the exposed root should be covered, protected or simply monitored. At Wimpole Street that runs from a change in brushing technique that costs nothing, through composite to cover a sensitive root from £195, to gum grafting quoted after assessment.
- Assessment £30 (new patients)
- Root coverage from £195
- Grafting quoted per site
Suitability
Is it right for you?
A good fit when
- A tooth that has visibly lengthened or shows a notch or yellow band at the gum line.
- Sharp sensitivity to cold, sweet or brushing on a root surface.
- Recession that is measurably progressing between check-ups.
- Exposed roots in the smile line that bother you when you look in the mirror.
- Recession alongside gum disease, where the infection must be treated first.
- Thin, fragile gum around a tooth that is about to have orthodontic or restorative treatment.
Think twice, or choose another route, when
- Recession driven by untreated periodontitis; the disease is stabilised before any cosmetic coverage is considered.
- Active smokers wanting a graft; healing and root coverage are considerably poorer and grafting may be declined.
- Roots where bone has been lost between the teeth as well; full coverage is not achievable and expectations need adjusting.
- Anyone still brushing with a hard brush and a scrubbing action; the graft will recede again unless the habit changes.
- Stable, long-standing recession with no sensitivity or aesthetic concern, which is often better left and watched.
The process
How it works at Wimpole Street
- 01
Measuring and photographing
Each recession is measured from the enamel edge to the gum margin and recorded with photographs, so progression can be judged objectively at future visits rather than by impression.
- 02
Finding the cause
We look at your brush, your technique, your bite, any grinding wear, the thickness of the gum and whether pockets or bleeding suggest disease. The treatment follows from this, not the other way around.
- 03
Removing the driver
That may mean a soft brush and a modified technique, a night guard for a grinder, treating gum disease with debridement, or moving a tooth back into the bone with aligners.
- 04
Protecting the root
Fluoride varnish or a bonding agent calms sensitivity. Where a notch has worn into the root, tooth-coloured composite fills it and shields the surface from further wear and decay.
- 05
Coverage where indicated
For thin tissue or progressive recession in a suitable site, a small graft of tissue from the palate, or a collagen substitute, is placed over the root under local anaesthetic to thicken the gum and, where the anatomy allows, cover part or all of the exposed surface.
- 06
Review
Measurements are repeated at six and twelve months. Stability is the goal; further recession prompts a rethink of the cause.
Choices
Options & materials
Deep cleaning
Root surface debridement where gum disease is behind the recession, so the tissue can tighten against clean roots before anything else is considered.
From £300
Composite root coverage
Tooth-coloured resin bonded over a sensitive or worn root. Relieves sensitivity and protects the surface, though it does not replace gum.
From £195
Gum graft
Connective tissue from the palate or a collagen matrix placed over the root to thicken the gum and improve coverage. Suited to selected sites with intact bone between the teeth.
Quoted after assessment
Fees
What it costs
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
Assessment New-patient rate (usual fee £95). Measurements, photographs and radiographs (£20 each). | £30 |
Fluoride varnish for sensitivity Applied to exposed roots. | £40 |
Composite root coverage Per tooth. | From £195 |
Deep cleaning Where gum disease is the cause. | From £300 |
Gum graft After assessment of tissue thickness, bone and smoking status. | Quoted per site |
Night guard Where grinding is contributing. | From £185 |
Indicative Wimpole Street fees, the same as at South Kensington and St Paul's. A written plan with the exact figure is agreed before anything is started.
Outcomes
What the result looks like
The most reliable result is that the recession stops. With the cause removed and the root protected, most sites stay exactly where they are for years, sensitivity settles within weeks and the tooth is no more likely to decay than its neighbours. Composite coverage blends with the tooth and can be repaired if it chips.
Grafting can thicken thin gum predictably; how much of the exposed root it covers is less certain and depends heavily on whether the bone between the teeth is intact. Published outcomes range from full coverage in favourable single sites to partial coverage in others, and results in smokers are markedly worse. We give an honest estimate for your site before you decide.
Afterwards
Looking after the result
- Switch to a soft or electric brush with a pressure sensor and let the bristles do the work; scrubbing is what caused most recession in the first place.
- Use a sensitive toothpaste and avoid whitening or abrasive pastes on exposed roots.
- After a graft, do not brush the site for two weeks; use the prescribed rinse and eat on the other side.
- Wear your night guard if grinding was identified; clenching loads the gum as well as the teeth.
- Keep hygiene visits regular so tartar at the gum margin is removed before it inflames the tissue.
Informed consent
Risks and honest limitations
Every treatment has trade-offs. These are the ones we discuss at the consultation so that a decision is made with full information rather than after the fact.
- Recession can continue if the cause is not fully removed, particularly brushing habits that are hard to unlearn.
- Grafts do not always cover the root as hoped, and occasionally fail to take; a second procedure may be needed.
- The palate donor site is sore for a week or two after tissue is harvested.
- Composite coverage can stain at the margin or chip and will need maintenance over the years.
- Sensitivity may persist in some teeth despite treatment and occasionally requires a filling or, rarely, root canal treatment.
- Recession alongside bone loss between the teeth cannot be fully corrected by any method.
FAQ
Questions patients ask
Not on their own. Gum tissue that has receded does not regenerate. Treatment stops further loss and, in selected cases, a graft can restore some coverage.
No. Recession can occur in a healthy mouth from brushing, thin tissue or tooth position. Gum disease is one cause among several, which is why finding the cause comes first.
Far from it. Most people need a change of technique, protection for a sensitive root and monitoring. Grafting is reserved for thin, progressing or aesthetically important sites where the anatomy gives a reasonable chance of success.
Fluoride varnish and a sensitive toothpaste settle most cases. A root with a worn notch is better covered with composite, which protects it from further wear as well as calming the nerve.
Yes, and it is one of the commonest causes we see: a hard brush, heavy pressure and a horizontal scrubbing stroke, often for decades. The classic pattern is recession on the canines and premolars on the side opposite your dominant hand.
Yes, at South Kensington or St Paul’s now at the same fees, with follow-up measurements in Marylebone from 1 October 2026.
Keep reading
Related treatments and guides
Marylebone, W1
Receding gums treatment at Wimpole Street from 1 October 2026
Register your interest and we will contact you as soon as the Marylebone diary is live. If you would rather start sooner, the same clinicians already see patients in South Kensington and at St Paul’s.
Opening 1 October 2026
Wimpole Street is not yet seeing patients. Until then, please book or call our South Kensington clinic on 020 7183 2362 or our St Paul's clinic on 020 7183 3709. Questions about the new clinic: wimpolestreet@md.co.uk.
Until we open
Need an appointment before 1 October 2026?
The same clinical team already works from two other Medical & Dental clinics. Book at either one now and, if you prefer, move your ongoing care to Wimpole Street once the doors open.
South Kensington
- 20 Old Brompton Road, London SW7 3DL
- Open seven days a week
- 020 7183 2362
St Paul's, City of London
- 5 Ave Maria Lane, London EC4M 7AQ
- Open Monday to Friday
- 020 7183 3709
