A good oral hygiene is important for your overall body well-being. Some dental problems such as exposed dying tooth nerve can cause extreme pain and discomforts. Maybe your dentist just revealed to you that one of your teeth have a dying nerve. You may be wondering how long this pain and discomfort will last before the nerve dies. Well, in order to understand fully well what a dead tooth nerve is all about, it might be helpful to be familiar with the various parts of a tooth.
Parts of a tooth
A tooth is made up of there layers – enamel, dentin and pulp. The enamel is the strongest and outermost layer of the teeth, it provides protection to the softer inner layers. The dentin layer that is found right after the enamel, it’s the part of the tooth that protects the pulp from harmful bacteria. The pulp is found at the core of the tooth, it houses blood vessels, nerves and connective tissues that keeps the tooth alive.
However, there are certain causes that can damage the living parts of the dental pulp and even lead to the death of teeth. Naturally, the tooth pulp tissues are encased in a germ-free environment. But sometimes, bacteria from deep decay or a leaky filling gets into the dental pulp tissues and leads to infection and damages, affecting the overall dental care and health of teeth.
Things that can damage the pulp tissue
1. Dental trauma: a physical trauma to the tooth can irritate the pulp tissues and eventually affects blood flow in the affected tooth. A blow to a tooth, deep crown preparations, repeated invasive procedures, and chronic teeth grinding or clenching can irritate pulp tissue. (1) Unlike most other body tissues, once the pulp tissues are injured it can’t heal properly on its own. If an injured pulp tissue is left untreated, the inflamed tissues might die.
2. Tooth decay: extreme tooth decay and untreated cavities can cause a tooth to die. Untreated cavities will eventually reach the pulp layer of a tooth, this creates an opening through which bacteria enter the pulp cavity. Eventually, the accumulation of bacteria in the pulp cavity will make the pressure inside the pulp to become too high. As more time passes, the blood supply to the tooth will be cut off, this results to the tooth’s death. (2)
How Long Will It Take For Dying Tooth Nerve To Die?
There are several factors that can determine the time it takes for the deterioration of teeth. Depending on the cause and severity of the injury or infection, it can take up to two weeks or a month for the pulp tissue in a tooth to die. The number of bacteria that have entered and the promptness of treatment can determine whether the tooth will die or not.
Normally, an inflammatory response in the teeth increases the pressure inside the pulp chamber. Without immediate attention, the pressure can become so intense that the pulp tissue suffocates and dies. In most cases, if a situation like this is left untreated, the pulp tissue is likely to die in two weeks after the trauma, causing pain. Acting fast to remove or repair the cause of the problem can prevent further issues with your teeth.
How to fix a dying tooth nerve
A dying nerve can result to tooth pain which can range from almost unnoticeable to excruciating. If the nerve is dying due to an infection, you may experience bad taste or bad smell resulting from the tooth. Frequent change in the tooth’s color is among the most common symptoms of dying nerve.
If you ignore these problem, it will deteriorate and eventually lead to tooth death. Luckily, there are two available treatment options when a nerve dies in your tooth. To treat a dead or dying nerve you can either go for extraction or root canal therapy.
Root Canal
A root canal treatment is a simple procedure used to remove dead, decayed or dying pulp tissues from teeth. On the appointment day, the dentist will evaluate the tooth to determine the right action for teeth with blood and nerve pain. If a root canal is deemed the most suitable treatment option for you, here is how it’s done.
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Before performing the root canal treatment, the dental professional may conduct a radiographic examination to assess the size and position of the pulp cavity, which can help diagnose tooth nerve pain.
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The dentist will administer a local anesthetic to numb the tooth nerve, ensuring you feel no pain during the procedure for both vital and dead teeth.
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A small opening may be made at the back of the tooth to provide access to the pulp tissues and alleviate nerve pain.
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The damaged or dead pulp tissues that cause tooth pain are completely removed from the pulp cavity to alleviate tooth nerve pain.
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The empty pulp chamber of a dead tooth is prepared for a filling to alleviate tooth pain caused by tooth nerve pain. A suitable temporary filling will be used to fill the empty pulp chamber.
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At the final day of the procedure, the dentist may recommend a full crown after completing the root canal treatment.
Tooth Extraction
Extraction is usually recommended if the dentist is unable to repair the tooth. The tooth extraction procedure is usually simple, relatively cheap and painless. After the extraction must have been completed, the dentist can replace the missing tooth with a prosthetic tooth, a fixed bridge or dental Implant.