Teeth are living things and they are likely to die. A tooth mainly dies because of physical trauma. Such trauma could be a cracked tooth or intense cavity on the tooth. A dead tooth is no longer able to receive fresh supply of blood. There are various symptoms of a dead tooth and methods of treatment. In treatment, there are dead teeth that can be reclaimed and those that cannot.
When one opens their mouth, you can see the teeth crown, which is the end of a tooth. The base of a tooth on the other hand is known as the root and it is underneath the bone and gums in the mouth. There are three basic layers for every tooth. The enamel is the outermost layer while the inner layer near the root is known as cementum. The third layer is known as the dentin and it is found inside the cementum and the enamel. There is a pulp beneath the dentin layer and it is made of blood vessels, nerves and additional tissue. This pulp is mainly referred to as a nerve. However, the blood vessels and nerves in a tooth partly exist through the roots in the bones and gums. When the tooth layers rot or get cracked, the pulp gets harmed. The harm could lead to gases in the gum, liquid pressure, pus or germs around the harmed area, resulting in infection. The gum then swells and you may experience great pain that may be an indication that you have a dead tooth.
What are a dead tooth signs and symptoms?
Many people will mainly experience tooth discoloration if they have a dead tooth. It is one of the first signs that a tooth is dead and no longer able to acquire fresh blood supply. Another common sign of a dead tooth is pain in the gums or tooth.
Teeth generally have a white color when they are healthy. This color may appear in a different shades depending on factors such as diet and hygiene. Habits such as smoking and consumption of foods such as coffee or red wine may stain your teeth and cause the original white shade to appear differently.
When discoloration occurs on a tooth as a dead nerve in tooth symptom, the color of the affected tooth will look different from the rest of the teeth. A tooth that is dying is likely to appear slightly yellow, slightly brown or grey or black. The dead nerve in tooth is also likely to appear as though it is bruised. The tooth continues to decay and discolor as the nerve dies.
Another symptom of a dead or dying teeth is pain. However, not all people with this condition experience pain. The pain is mild for some and may be intense for others. The cause of the pain is the dying nerve or infection around the dying teeth. However, not all tooth or gum pain is an indication of a dying or dead tooth.
Other signs that indicate a dying or dead tooth may include bad taste in the mouth, bad breath or swelling of your gum line area. It is advisable to visit a dentist as soon as you begin to experience any of the signs of dying teeth. A diagnosis is offered and depending on the symptoms, there are treatment methods for dead teeth.
What causes a tooth to die?
When a tooth is injured or traumatized, it is highly likely to die. A tooth can get injured or traumatized when one is hit in the mouth by a heavy object or when one hits the mouth against something. Dying of a teeth may occur fast or slowly. It may take days, months or years for a tooth to die.
Poor dental hygiene is also a cause for death in teeth. When your mouth hygiene is not good, teeth are likely to have cavities, which may completely destroy teeth if they is not treated. Cavities start from the enamel and they go all the way to the pulp with time. It is normally painful when the pulp has cavities. Having cavities in the pulp leads to