The issue of dental pulp disease is serious. Patients who suffer from it usually need root canals, or worse – their teeth extracted.
Dental pulp disease takes shape when a cavity is left untreated. The decay spreads to the soft center (or pulp) of a tooth – which contains sensitive nerves and blood vessels.
How do you know if you have pulp disease?
Symptoms feel similar to tooth decay or a cavity. They include:
- Pain in a tooth or teeth when you eating foods that are very sweet, hot, or cold.
- Sudden, intense pain in the mouth.
I won’t go into the types of dental pulp diseases because they are many – and they can be pretty complicated to explain. However, I will tell you that if damaged or disease pulp isn’t removed a severe infection can set in and spread throughout your mouth.
You will need a root canal to remove the pulp. This can be done right here in my office, or I will refer you to a pulp specialist, called an endodontist. Either way, a root canal may spare you from having the infected tooth extracted.
Root canals generally require up to three office visits. During the first visit, the disease pulp is removed and the empty space (the root canal) is cleaned out. A temporary filling may be placed or I may choose to leave the canal open and let the tooth drain for a few days. An oral antibiotic may also be recommended to treat infection in the tissues surrounding your tooth.
In the second visit, the temporary filling is removed and a permanent filling is placed. And during the final office visit, a crown is placed over the tooth to reinforce the tooth and make it stronger.
It’s imperative that you contact our office if you’re feeling any kind of discomfort in your mouth. The health of your teeth, mouth, and your body depend on it!
Related articles:
What You Need to Know about Gum Disease
Pricey Procedures Await for People Who Skip the Dentist
Dental Infections: When Food is the Culprit
What You Can do about a Lost Filling or Crown
