Re: For "root decay" are "all night" fluoride treatments the only answer?



Bee bumble wrote:
My dentist said I have the beginings of "root decay" (I'm 62) involving
2 crowns and it may get worse as I have many crowns and bridges. I
read up on the topic and 'understand that root decay spreads quickly
and is very damaging to the teeth.
The dentist told me to brush with a special presciption toothpaste
with fluroide and to leave it on my teeth all night. I'm to do this
for at least 3 weeks til my appointment wherein he can begin working on
the crowns in question.
I am not keen on getting all this fluoride in my system and wonder if a
solution of say, hydrogen peroxide (diluted) could be as effective.
Thanks for any advice.



Your dentist may have a rationale, but realistically unless you are using custom trays the fluoride will be swallowed in a few minutes anyway.
Root decay does spread rapidly, but fluoride rinses won't stop it. The cavity should be excavated. If it is on the cheek or tongue side of the crown it is sometimes possible to do this and fill the cavity without removing the crown. If the decay is in between the teeth the crown will need replacement.
Long ago I saw a lecture by a well-known periodontist who claimed he could arrest radiation caries (a severe form of root decay caused by destruction of the salivary glands) by using chlorhexidene rinses. I haven't heard that from anyone else.
Exposed root areas prone to decay may benefit from prescription fluoride gels such as you are probably using (Prevident, Gel-kam), but office-applied sodium fluoride varnish (Duraphat) also helps.

Steve

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