Tooth decay at the gum line – prevention versus restoration

Tooth decay at the gum line, also called root decay, is more common than hypertension and arthritis. It is associated with receding gums, gum disease, a dry mouth and smoking.

So, what's involved when you have a cavity at the gum line? First, it means you have a bacterial infection on the tooth surface. These bacteria produce acids to erode your soft part of the tooth at the gum line. You can't often completely eliminate these bacteria through brushing and flossing. You need a professional cleaning plus some extra antimicrobial protection.

The traditional approach to gum line decay is to restore these cavities with mercury amalgam or often a white filling. Then both the patient and the dentist watch this filling fail over the next 2 or 3 years. Fillings at the gum line don't last very long because the cavity is in a porous, moist area of the tooth which is often hard to access. So, most often, a cycle of fillings and new fillings begins at the gum line until the tooth requires a crown or an implant.

And there is more bad news. Typically, patients get one cavity after another at the gum line. This disease often re-occurs quickly on adjacent teeth.

But now the good news. Canadian dental offices are now being trained and are starting to use two new preventive tooth coatings to manage this recurring problem in the mouths of older patients. These coatings are described in www.rootdecay.ca, are topically applied to your teeth by your hygienist in a short appointment, and are invisible, painless and safe. This new preventive procedure is approved by Health Canada, has the Seal of Recognition of the Canadian Dental Association, and has been peer-reviewed by other regulatory and research agencies internationally. These antibacterial tooth coatings are a breakthrough in preventing cavities in adults.