Hi Steffi,
I'm sorry you are having such difficult dental problems. I see your situation routinely in people who have various <extenuating> circumstances.

I have also seen the value in using an electric toothbrush with people who are not able to use a manual toothbrush effectively. The key to using an electric brush is to NOT use it like a manual one, but rather allow the brush to do the cleaning of the teeth and massaging of the gum tissue. If we use any type of toothbrush aggressively, we could eventually injure the gum tissue making it become thinner and ultimately recession can develop.

I just wish to clarify that there are a few common causes of gum recession. One type can come from aggressive tooth brushing as I mentioned or from an improper brushing technique. But another can occur from a bacterial infection. If plaque accumulates along the gumline and is not removed properly on a daily basis, a bacterial infection can occur. It generally starts out as a gingivitis and if not corrected, can progress to periodontal disease. Some people have this throughout their mouth and others don't. There is also a hereditary factor that plays a role in gum disease and tooth decay. Some believe that the PH factor is significant as well. High acidic foods contribute to erosion of the enamel leading to tooth decay and can be irritating to the gum tissue. Whereas low acidic foods are not. So perhaps it is helpful to know that a more neutral PH level may be condusive to a healthier teeth.

When recession occurs, two distinct things happen. One, the enamel itself along the gumline can be worn down to the softer layer of tooth called the dentin. The dentin is comprised of small microscopic tubules which are sensitive to temperature and sweets, whereas the enamel is not. Second, the part of the tooth that was covered by gum tissue, is now exposed and that part is also dentin, not enamel. So what happens is, the dentin tubules pick up the temperature or sweet sensation and a message gets sent to the nerves inside the tooth that there's no longer any enamel protecting that portion of the tooth so the person will feel sharp sudden pain. It is not the nerve that is exposed, it is the protective layer that is gone that once covered the sensitive dentin.

There certainly are ways to stop the progression of recession from tooth brush abrasion. One is to have your hygienist teach the proper brushing technique with whatever type of toothbrush that is best for you. Always use a soft bristle brush no matter what and use a non abraisive tooth paste. Herbal toothpastes do not usually have the abraisives in them like most commercial pastes do and avoid whitening pastes completely. Second, if the areas of recession have not gotten too large, the dentist can place a bonding material over them that will actually protect the senisitive dentin from further breakdown and will eliminate the pain to temperature and sweets.

I also read in your post that you were having root treatment? I assume that you are referring to a root canal? There is a growing controversy over the benefit vs risk factors with regard to root canal therapy. Especially for people who have ANY chronic autoimmne and/or inflammatory disease. One reason is because the only parts of the tooth that can be treated during the root canal procedure are the large canals that are accessible with dental files. The remaining microscopic canals, which also initially have live nerve in them, are not accessible. Because the main blood supply is cut off once the large nerves are removed, these tiny canals no longer have any nutrition and their contents become necrotic nerve material. Any form of tissue necrosis causes inflammation markers to go up as the immune system tries to handle it. This necrotic tissue frequently becomes infectious which in some cases, can spread to other areas of the mouth. Because the mouth is so vascular, it is possible for this process of inflammation and infection to affect other organs of the body.

None of the information that I am giving you is meant to alarm you. After 30 years in dentistry, I firmly beleive that all people should be given the information of all dental procedures before they consent to treatment. Only the patient can make the decision of what is in their best interest. I always tell people to tell their oncologist or specialist (MD) that they have tooth and or gum problems and that they are having root canal treatment. Some specialists will recommend that a root canal is too risky due to the inflammantion issues for a particular patient. It is sometimes better to remove the source of infection and inflammation in it's entirety which is dentistry would mean to remove the tooth.

Again, I am just putting the information out there so you can become more informed, so the choices you make, are what you believe are best for you.

Best Regards,
Bryanna