Having healthy gums are the key to be able to keep teeth healthy, is one absolute truth. Numerous factors are found to contribute to receding gums problem and these includes periodontal disease or commonly known as gum disease, heredity, hormonal changes, smoking, stress, poor diet, major illness, certain medications, imbalanced bite patterns, poor oral hygiene and wrong and harsh brushing and flossing techniques. When dentist diagnose receding gums, he or she tries to compare the amount of gum tissue to the amount of tooth that is exposed. Your dentist can recommend certain treatments depending on the severity of the gum recession and require you to observe proper techniques of daily brushing and flossing.