Teeth are made up of a combination of hard and soft tissues. Your teeth may not look like something alive, but in reality, they are. Sometimes, due to decay or an injury, the nerves in the pulp of your teeth become damaged and stop providing blood to the tooth. The stoppage of blood causes an infection causing the nerves to die. Continue reading to find out the signs of a dead tooth and the treatment options.
Signs of a Dead Tooth
A dead tooth is the one with no blood supply. Discoloration can be a sign of dying tooth for some people. With that, it is also possible to experience a little pain in the tooth or gums.
If you have healthy teeth, then the color of your pearls would usually be white. However, the color can vary depending on what you eat and drink and how well you take care of your teeth. For instance, if you regularly take coffee, tea, wine, or other staining foods, then the color of your teeth would be an off-white or light shade of yellow.
If you have a tooth that is dying, its color would be different than the rest of your teeth. The dying tooth may appear bruised with a shade of yellow, light brown, gray, or even black. And the discoloration may worsen over time.
Another possible symptom is pain. Some people don’t experience any pain, while others may feel mild or some extreme pain. Sometimes the main cause of pain is the dying nerve caused by infection. Some other signs of infection are bad breath, bad taste in the mouth, or swelling around the gum line.
Treatment
It is important to treat the dead tooth immediately after the diagnosis. It is because if you leave it untreated, the bacteria from the dead tooth can spread and can cause loss of additional teeth. As a treatment, your dentist may recommend you to go for a root canal or may extract the entire tooth.
If you see signs of a dead tooth, visit your dentist right away. Call Bayside Dental and Orthodontics at 979-330-4113 and book an appointment.