Dent Assistant discussion board

Question

At a family gathering, your uncle, age 78, discusses his last dental visit with you. He says the dentist told him he needed to brush with a new type of toothpaste with a much higher concentration of fluoride. "He told me I have exposed roots and that worries me. I don't know what that means, or why I have to change toothpaste all of a sudden. My teeth Don't Hurt." How do you respond?

Answer 1

Explain to your uncle that problems such as exposed roots do not always cause pain but can lead to problems that do. The roots are made up of a substance called dentin. Dentin is much softer than the enamel that surrounds the crown of a tooth. Dentin is the only thing left to protect the tooth’s pulp which contains the nerves. Fluoride is a mineral that will help with remineralization and protecting these teeth with exposed roots. Explain to your uncle that prevention is key, and he should always follow the advice of his dentist.