root exposure?

[marshall]

Hi,

I went to the dentist for a checkup and I mentioned that when I touched #15 on the mesial/buccal side with my finger it hurt. If I get cold liquid back there it kills too. He previously filled this tooth with some composite for some small decay that he saw only after he examined me and I mentioned the pain. So on this second time around he said it is probably root exposure (he probed with an explorer and I raised my hand when it hurt). He prescribed some Prevadent and said the extra fluoride should help. From what I know about dentistry so far, root exposure is bad and will eventually require root canal therapy... is that true? Is this at all related to receding gums (how does a root come to be exposed without a hole?).

Cheers,
Marshall

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[Dr.SpongeBobDDS]

Root exposure does not necessarily mean RCT. As long as there is no decay you should be fine. Lots of people have root exposure from receding gums. I have several places where my root surfaces are exposed by ~1mm. For some people they can be very sensitive as there is no longer anything protecting the dentinal tubules. The fluoride will do nothing to stop your sensitivity, though; it is a compound in the toothpaste that occludes the dentinal tubules and prevents them from conveying the stimulus that causes the pain.

was that too much info or not enough?

 

[DBEAR]

Root exposure is very common. Probably the #1 cause of this is brushing too hard in the area. However, there are some predisposing factors that might play a role like ortho treatment, lacking attached gingiva, malaligned teeth, etc... So, what can you do about this? There are several different procedures that can help your situation like a connective tissue graft, free gingival graft, or just a coronally positioned flap. The graft material can either be from your own mouth(palate) or from donor tissue which is called alloderm. The recession might or might not continue to get worse. I would go visit a periodontist to discuss your options and to see how you can help prevent further recession and possible coverage of the lost tissue. If you have any other questions please feel free to ask.

 

[gpg]

hi....the root may get exposed due to gum recession....for starters check ur brushing technic....if u r brushing horizontally STOP!Ask one of your seniors to show you the Modified Stillman's Technic and use that.

Then buy a desensitizing tooth-paste,something like colgate sensitive care.Don't brush your teeth with it.Take some paste on your fingers,apply it on the tooth where the root is exposed and leave it there for 10 mins.Then just spit out,but don't gurgle.The active ingredient seals the tubules and stops the sensitivity.

Use an inter-dental brush,sold either by Oral-B or Colgate.Keeps the area between 2 teeth clean and also massages your gums.

Finally,keep going to the dentist for a regular check-up every 6 months.

lemme know how much my treatment was effective,it has worked on a lot of patients here in India!

 

[marshall]

Thanks for all of the advice. I'll see what I can do and maybe go visit a periodontist some time. I did have extensive ortho treatment including orthognathic surgery that ended April 2003. Thanks everyone!