Dead tooth, gum disease, injury, or damage to the nerve, among other things, may all lead to a tooth’s demise. If the tissues that hold it in place are damaged, and the tooth’s blood supply is cut off, it is said to be dead. Some people may have no symptoms, while others may have very adverse reactions. A dying or decaying tooth should be treated as quickly as possible to prevent the spreading of infection and further damage to the jawbone, gums, and adjacent teeth. When a tooth loses its blood supply or can no longer be used for chewing, eating, or biting, we say it has died. In this article, we will discuss dead tooth.
What is meant by a dead tooth?
A “dead tooth” has stopped receiving enough blood flow. Discolouration may be one of the first signs that a tooth is dying for many people. Your gums and teeth may also start to hurt. It’s possible, for instance, that your smile may seem white or light yellow if you often engage in activities that cause staining, such as smoking cigarettes or consuming stain-prone foods and drinks, such as coffee, blueberries, or red wine. On the other hand, this discolouration is likely to be uniform.
Causes of dead tooth:
Causes of tooth loss may include the patient’s age, diet, and dedication to dental cleanliness. Tooth decay, gum disease, tooth injury, or infection at the tooth root may all cause bone loss and, eventually, osteonecrosis. An infection may also bring on the loss of a tooth at the tooth’s root. All the body’s living cells and tissues rely on a constant blood flow to stay alive and perform their functions properly. Below is a list of the most common causes of a tooth’s demise:
Accidents and injuries:
Dying teeth may be triggered by physical harm or trauma, such as falling on your teeth on a solid surface or any sports accident that wounds the face. Gum disease and dental decay are two more culprits in tooth loss. The blood vessels may burst from sudden trauma, cutting off the blood supply and ending up in the tooth’s pulp. If the pulp’s blood supply is suddenly cut off, all of the pulp’s living cells and nerves will die.
Symptoms:
In most cases, a simple tooth examination is insufficient to decide whether or not anything is still alive. You must visit the dentist regularly for checkups and cleanings to ensure you receive an accurate diagnosis, which a dentist can only offer.
Pain:
Pain caused by a tooth that has died or is dying can range from barely detectable to sparingly excruciating, depending on the severity of the tooth’s condition. In most cases, the underlying cause of increased pain is a neuron that has died or an infection. Sometimes people continue to feel pain long after the relevant nerve has passed away, and they cannot determine why this is the case.
Excruciating pain:
The periodontal membrane, composed of incredibly sensitive nerve endings surrounding the outside of the tooth, is the source of the pain, not the pulp chamber inside the tooth. The patient may experience excruciating pain due to pressure on the periodontal membrane caused by the accumulation of bacteria and dead nerve remnants, commonly known as pus, in the pulp cavity inside the tooth.
Colour adjustment:
The patient may observe a colour change, perhaps from yellow to grey or even black, if the tooth has died and is no longer healthy. Alterations in the colour of the blood are frequently connected with the passing of red blood cells. The result is comparable to that of receiving a bruise. If a dead tooth isn’t extracted when it’s scheduled to be, the discolouration of the surrounding teeth will almost certainly get worse.
When should a dead tooth be extracted?
The tooth can no longer sustain life since the blood supply has been cut off. This is why people speak of their “dead” teeth in this way. Tooth loss may be referred to by several terms, including “non-vital tooth” and “necrotic pulp.” A tooth that has perished will eventually fall out of the socket. However, there are better courses of action than allowing this due to the danger it presents and the possible harm it might do to your other teeth and jaw.
When is using a dead tooth problematic?
Retaining a dead or dying tooth in the skull might cause further complications if the infection spreads to other areas of the head, as was previously described. However, that’s not the last chapter. The most noticeable effects are a decrease in personal hygiene and bad breath. A dead tooth is usually quite obvious. If the affected tooth is a front tooth, it may be distracting and unpleasant, especially if it is black.
What to Expect If You Really Do Have a Dead Tooth?
If your dentist identifies a non-restorable dead tooth, you should know the many treatment choices accessible to you.
Extraction:
Removing a dead tooth or extraction is a straightforward and painless treatment. When removing a tooth, the dentist would often grab it firmly and pull it out of the gums. If the tooth’s condition is too severe to allow for this, it will be sectioned into smaller pieces before removal.
Root canal treatment:
Root canal treatment is preferred over extraction when treating a dead tooth because it allows the dentist to save it. After the infection, the area will be thoroughly cleaned and sealed up to stop any more conditions.
Conclusion:
A tooth is said to be “dead” and thus unable to function normally. Your teeth are made up of hard and soft structures and nerves, as you may well know. Dentists and other oral health specialists may not think of teeth as living organisms, but they consider teeth in good condition to be “alive.” A non-vital tooth is another name for a dead tooth because no blood can flow through it.
FAQs:
Is there any significance to a tooth’s seeming demise?
The nerves in the pulp may be considered dead, and the tooth may be deemed finished if they are present. When a tooth stops receiving blood, it is considered dead. When a tooth’s nerve has perished, the condition is referred to variously as necrotic pulp or pulpless tooth.
What problems might emerge if a tooth with decay is not extracted?
When a tooth is in danger of dying or has already passed, prompt treatment is necessary to prevent further complications. The bacteria that caused the infected tooth to die might spread to other teeth if the infected tooth is not treated.
Can a tooth be completely dead and not rot?
Given the widespread belief that teeth are conscious organisms, their eventual loss is inevitable. Teeth that have lost their blood supply are decaying.