Repair Receding Gums
Brushing your teeth too hard can promote receding gums and consuming very acidic foods and drinks can promote tooth erosion. If your gums recede too far, your teeth can be left vulnerable to decay. Now, there's a simple fix.
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Not long ago, Herbert Joyner found out there was something wrong with his teeth.
Herbert Joyner
"I was unaware of it at all."
He had no pain, no sensitivity to hot or cold, but his gums had receded so far that notches formed. The sensitive upper part of his teeth were exposed.
Typically, a filling material is used to cover the exposed areas and holes are drilled to help hold the material in place. But Herbert's dentist signed him up for a study of a new technique.
A drill is used briefly to rough up the tooth's smooth surface. Then an adhesive is applied. It's lightly dried.
Then cured with a high intensity blue light and the filling material is applied.
Andre Ritter, DDS
Dentist
University of North Carolina
Chapel Hill, NC
"And once that is all set, the adhesive will retain the filling itself without the need for any type of drilling."
The structure of the tooth is preserved and the area that was once exposed is protected from decay and further erosion.
Andre Ritter, DDS
"Ultimately you can lose the tooth or parts of it if you don't treat."
Herbert Joyner
Had dental procedure
"I just take the advice of my dentist."
This time the advice gave Herbert something to smile about.
While some dentists have already been using the adhesive technique to repair gum line defects, the UNC study is an effort to get it officially approved by the American Dental Association.
TOOTH DECAY: Tooth decay is the destruction of tooth enamel. According to the American Dental Association, nearly 20 percent of children in the United States between ages 2 and 4 have experienced tooth decay. More than two-thirds of adults between ages 35 and 44 have lost at least one permanent tooth due to cavities or tooth decay.
WHAT HAPPENS: Gum-line defects occur when erosion of the gums exposes the sensitive upper portion of a tooth. Such erosion is common, especially as people age. It is usually caused by toothbrush abrasion and consumption of acidic foods and drinks. The teeth lose their protective coat on the crown. When that portion of the tooth is exposed, it is vulnerable to decay. People who have gum-line defects can feel a notch shape between the tooth and the gum. The exposed portion of the tooth needs to be covered with a filling-like material. Unlike cavities, these are defects in otherwise healthy teeth. The standard method is to drill holes to help bond the filling material to the teeth.
NEW TECHNIQUE: Researchers from the University of North Carolina School of Dentistry have refined a technique to restore gum-line defects in teeth. They are using an adhesive, instead of drilling holes, to bond the filling material to the tooth. No anesthesia is required in 80 percent to 90 percent of cases. Researchers say this is an improvement because the technique does not require drilling or cutting of healthy teeth. The whole procedure takes 10 to 15 minutes per tooth.
RESULTS: Last year, researchers began a study to validate the technique in an effort to get it approved by the American Dental Association. They are also testing a new version of the adhesive material. Researchers are doing 100 restorations, reviewing them at 6 months and again 18 months after insertion. To be considered safe and effective, 95 percent of the restorations must be maintained at 6 months, and 90 percent must be maintained at 18 months. The study will be completed in 12 months to 18 months. So far, about 40 percent of participants have been evaluated for the six-month follow-up and all of the restorations in those cases have been successful. Researchers say this technique makes restoration simpler, faster, and more effective with fewer side effects.
WHAT YOU CAN DO: To prevent tooth decay, the American Dental Association recommends you:
- Brush twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste
- Clean between your teeth daily with floss or interdental cleaner
- Eat nutritious and balanced meals and limit snacking
- Check with your dentist about use of supplemental fluoride, which strengthens your teeth, and about the use of dental sealants (a plastic protective coating).
- Visit your dentist regularly for professional cleanings and oral examination
Ginger Cole
Clinical Project Coordinator
Operative Dentistry Research Program
University of North Carolina
419F Brauer Hall, CB #7450
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7450
Ginger_Cole@dentistry.unc.edu
(919) 966-5237
Copyright © 2003 Ivanhoe Broadcast News, Inc.
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