I have always been an avid hockey player, and my love took a bad turn one day when I got struck in the mouth with the puck. It was a painful moment that left me with two teeth knocked out of my mouth. Had I taken the right steps after the accident, I could have possibly saved the teeth, but I did not know I had that option at the time. Thankfully, I worked up the courage to visit a dentist and ask what my options for teeth-replacement were. I was worried I would would have to live the rest of my life without smiling, but I was ecstatic to learn that I was the perfect candidate for dental implants. I created this blog to help others realize that there are so many options to replace missing teeth today that no one has to "just live with" an imperfect smile!
When you find yourself experiencing severe tooth pain that will not go away no matter what pain medications you take or what changes in your eating and drinking habits that you make, you maybe in need of what is known as endodontic treatment and care. Endodontics is a field of dentistry that focuses on what is known as dental pulp, which is the meaty inner part of your tooth that contains the flesh and nerves of the teeth. Get to know some of the ways that endodontic treatments can help you relieve your tooth pain and get you back to your regular daily life as soon as possible.
Pulpotomy or Pulpectomy
Two of the most common treatments that a dentist who specializes in endodontics performs are pulpotomies and pulpectomies. These procedures involve the partial removal and full removal of the dental pulp in a tooth respectively.
If you only have a partial infection of your dental pulp, with some tissue that is still healthy, then a pulpotomy may be the best treatment option for you. Your dentist will remove the infected tissue and then fill the emptied portion of the interior structure of your tooth and then crown it.
A pulpectomy, on the other hand, involves removing all of the dental pulp tissue and tissue in the root canal. This is done when the infection is widespread or irreversible. The goal here is to relieve pain and prevent the spread of the infection to other areas in the body while maintaining the external structure of your tooth. Both pulpotomies and pulpectomies are also commonly referred to as root canal procedures.
Apicoectomy
An apicoectomy is an endodontic treatment that is performed when standard root canals are unsuccessful. This is a surgical procedure that is slightly more invasive than a root canal but is still considered to be a minor procedure.
This surgical procedure involves removing the root tip of the tooth. It does not go through the tooth itself but rather through the gums and is often performed when a dentist does not want to take apart a tooth that has already had a crown placed on it.
With local anesthesia, your oral surgeon will make a small incision in your gums at the level of the root tip of your tooth. They will then remove any damaged or infected tissue including the root tip and fill the cavity to prevent another infection.
Now that you better understand your endodontic care options for your tooth pain, you can be sure that you are prepared for the dental care that will give you the pain relief and healing that you need.
Share16 May 2016
