Dead tooth. Hearing this term for the very first time got me excited as to what it is, what causes it and if the tooth is really dead, then why are we even bothered to talk about it? After detailed research, I found out that something like this actually existed. There is a whole lot of talks around this topic and are several measures as to how to avoid it.
So through this blog today let us discuss what a dead tooth is? What are its causes? What treatment does it offer? And lastly how to prevent this?
Let us begin with the very basic question i.e. what is a dead tooth?
As we all know a tooth usually has three layers namely – enamel, dentin, and pulp. The pulp which is the very last layer of the tooth is usually connected to the nerve. If this nerve is dead then there will be no blood flow which will eventually lead to a tooth being dead.
Normally if there is such a condition, then the tooth falls off by itself but if you come to know that such a tooth exists in your mouth, then it is immediately required to go and visit a dentist.
But how to know that a person has a dead tooth? Obviously, that person will not know by himself that they are suffering from such a problem. Only a dental professional can help you with this.
However, there are certain symptoms which can help you to know beforehand that there is such an issue. These are referred to as self-diagnosis and are:
Pain
The pain on the dead tooth varies from none to extreme. But in normal cases the pain is excruciating. People might think that if the nerve is dead, then why are they experiencing the pain. The reason is that the pain is not coming from the inside of the tooth but can be experienced on the outer edges of the tooth or the nerve endings. The nerve endings build up the pus inside the pulp cavity which puts the pressure to the nerve ending known as a periodontal membrane.
The pain arises due to infection which can also lead to bad taste, foul odor and also pimple on your gums.
Discoloration
A dead tooth often changes its color to yellow, grey or even black. The person having a dead tooth can experience this color change. Just like the color of the wound changes with time so does the color of the tooth changes as the red blood cells are dying.
These were the symptoms one can look out for.
We will now discuss the causes as to why does this condition even occur?
As discussed, the tooth dies because there is no blood supply. The dead tooth causes the bacteria to feed on it causing pain. This situation arises in two conditions:
Tooth Decay
If you had decay in your tooth and ignore it for long, then eventually your tooth will die as the decay gets deep into the layers reaching the pulp. If your tooth has decay, then bacteria will grow which will then find a direct path to the pulp.
Your body will do everything to fight off with the bacteria growing but not getting the proper treatment will surely fail the nerve eventually leading to a dead tooth.
Trauma
It isn’t surprising. Because accident or trauma will cause the infection which will lead deep down to the nerve. This will lead to blood flow loss from the nerve eventually leading to a dead tooth.
Treatment
A tooth when the dead will eventually fall off on its own. But one should not wait for such an event to happen. If you come across the symptoms as mentioned above, then rushing to the nearest dental clinic will be the only resolve.
The only option left to get this situation in control is extraction. Because the nerve is dead and so is your tooth, then it makes no sense to have it inside your mouth. This will cause more harm than good.
Visiting a dentist is a sure shot way to get rid of the pain it can cause and can also prevent the adjoining tooth from getting infected.
