Tashmahollic,

Pulp therapy is another term for root canal therapy. Before you have any root canal work done it would behoove you to read up on it as this procedure is only temporary and does not cure the problem with the tooth. There are also various health risks associated with retaining root canaled teeth of which your dentist most likely will not inform you of. There are many topics here on this subject... just skim through the threads and look for those with root canal in the heading.

If you have a calcium build up on your teeth then you are going to experience inflammation, swelling and discomfort in random areas of your mouth. There is no way to tell what condition your gums are in until that build up of tartar is removed.

Regarding the recession of your gums .... improper tooth brushing can contribute to receding gums. However the build up of tartar (calcium) is what causes the gums to recede as the tartar is very acidic and very irritating to the gum tissue. Once that is all removed, as your gums heal and tighten up the gums will recede a bit further in some areas.

Grinding your teeth also contributes to gum recession as the grinding literally moves the teeth out of their original alignment. It also inflames the periodontal ligament that holds the teeth in the bone causing the ligament and teeth to become inflamed.