Barry Rhome, DMD, PC
Tooth Saving Tips
Saving a natural tooth that has a damaged nerve via endodontic treatment and a proper permanent filling, should always be the first choice—both for oral health and cosmetic reasons. There are many advantages to saving your natural tooth, including:
- efficient chewing
- normal biting force, so you can continue to eat your favorite foods
- maintains a natural appearance
- limits the need for more costly, ongoing dental work
Tooth Temperature Sensitivity
According to the Academy of General Dentistry, at least 40 million adults suffer from sensitive teeth in the United States. The problem is common and it is treatable—just know that you are not alone. The most common complaint among dental patients is a sudden, sharp blast of pain when teeth are exposed to cold or hot foods, or even cold air.
If you’re experiencing tooth pain, whether sharp and throbbing or dull and achy, it can be difficult to bite and chew, concentrate, get through the day, or even sleep at night, despite your taking over-the-counter remedies.
The source of tooth pain may be dental decay, abrasion of the outer tooth structure, a crack in the tooth, or a lost filling. Any of these conditions may cause the nerve of the tooth to become inflamed or infected. Unfortunately, the nerve tissue in our teeth has limited repairability or the ability to fight bacteria, and once inflamed or contaminated, can rarely return to a state of health. Healthy tooth nerve tissue is neither inflamed nor infected. In these situations, the nerve tissue, and not the tooth itself, may need to be removed ( root canal treatment).
A History of Root Canal Safety & Misinformation
Endodontics plays a critical role in maintaining good oral health by not only eliminating infection and pain, but also by preserving our natural teeth. A key responsibility of any endodontist is to reassure patients who are concerned about the safety of endodontic treatment that their overall well-being is a top priority.
The American Association of Endodontists website (www.aae.org) is one of the best places for anxious patients to obtain comprehensive information on the safety and efficacy of endodontics and root canal treatment. While plenty of good information is available online from the AAE and other reliable resources, patients sometimes arrive at the dental office with misinformation.
5 Root Canal Myths You Shouldn’t Believe
Dr. Barry Rhome is proud to provide a range of endodontically-related treatments to patients throughout the greater Philadelphia area. While we highly value preventative care at our practice, sometimes dental problems are unavoidable. If dental decay progresses too deeply into the tooth and affects the inner nerve tissue, or trauma causes a fracture of the tooth exposing the nerve issue, endodontic treatment (root canal therapy) offers a highly effective, conservative solution. In fact, root canal therapy often allows us to save a tooth that would otherwise require extraction and replacement.