Any PH Dentists in the house?
Discussion
Right, I've been to the dentist today, and I expressed my concern at my sensitive front tooth. I've been told I need a root canal. I'm just wondering if anyone is able to assist with my queries.
The Symptoms - My tooth hurts to tap it with my fingernail, when compared to my other front tooth, which is fine. I don't think it hurts often when eating, however it does hurt quite often (aching) just for no reason.
Now, treatment - What can I have done? I told my dentist it was hurting last time I went, and she said there was no damage anywhere (and did an x-ray); however it is clear even when looking at the tooth that it has lost a lot of enamel and is going 'see-through'. The tooth is also very rough at the bottom, and chippped. In addition, my tooth looks to me like it has 'crazing' on it, which again I pointed out last time to my dentist, who said that it was 'nothing'. Is there any way I can improve any of these factors? In addition, could these be the cause(s) for my pain, rather than requiring a root canal?
In addition, I also need to have a filling in one of my wisdom teeth, which is concerning when there was no issue 3 months ago when I visited the dentist.
I am concerned about having a root canal, because it is my front tooth, I don't want an injection, and most importantly, I don't want it to be obviously a different colour, since it would require a crown, too.
Can anyone help?
The Symptoms - My tooth hurts to tap it with my fingernail, when compared to my other front tooth, which is fine. I don't think it hurts often when eating, however it does hurt quite often (aching) just for no reason.
Now, treatment - What can I have done? I told my dentist it was hurting last time I went, and she said there was no damage anywhere (and did an x-ray); however it is clear even when looking at the tooth that it has lost a lot of enamel and is going 'see-through'. The tooth is also very rough at the bottom, and chippped. In addition, my tooth looks to me like it has 'crazing' on it, which again I pointed out last time to my dentist, who said that it was 'nothing'. Is there any way I can improve any of these factors? In addition, could these be the cause(s) for my pain, rather than requiring a root canal?
In addition, I also need to have a filling in one of my wisdom teeth, which is concerning when there was no issue 3 months ago when I visited the dentist.
I am concerned about having a root canal, because it is my front tooth, I don't want an injection, and most importantly, I don't want it to be obviously a different colour, since it would require a crown, too.
Can anyone help?
did the dentist take an x-ray of the tooth and its root.?
did she also do a vitality test?..(place a v.cold cotton bud and see how long the pain lasted for)
do you have a swelling above the tooth root on the gum?
have you had any nights of throbbing toothache that have woken you up from your sleep?
Sorry about all the questions, but it would help with an answer for you.
did she also do a vitality test?..(place a v.cold cotton bud and see how long the pain lasted for)
do you have a swelling above the tooth root on the gum?
have you had any nights of throbbing toothache that have woken you up from your sleep?
Sorry about all the questions, but it would help with an answer for you.
peterpeter said:
did the dentist take an x-ray of the tooth and its root.?
did she also do a vitality test?..(place a v.cold cotton bud and see how long the pain lasted for)
do you have a swelling above the tooth root on the gum?
have you had any nights of throbbing toothache that have woken you up from your sleep?
Sorry about all the questions, but it would help with an answer for you.
Don't apologise for the questions Peter. I'm grateful for your help.did she also do a vitality test?..(place a v.cold cotton bud and see how long the pain lasted for)
do you have a swelling above the tooth root on the gum?
have you had any nights of throbbing toothache that have woken you up from your sleep?
Sorry about all the questions, but it would help with an answer for you.
The dentist took an x-ray, and said that it was not clear.
No vitality test - Could you explain what would be a bad result? Also, could I do a similar test at home?
As far as I can see, I don't have any swelling above the tooth root. Would this be obvious? I have previously had gum disease.
I have never woken from my sleep from the throbbing, however it does constantly throb quite often, which is eased or stopped by brushing my teeth.
peterpeter said:
did the dentist take an x-ray of the tooth and its root.?
did she also do a vitality test?..(place a v.cold cotton bud and see how long the pain lasted for)
do you have a swelling above the tooth root on the gum?
have you had any nights of throbbing toothache that have woken you up from your sleep?
Sorry about all the questions, but it would help with an answer for you.
Futher to these questions is there any history of trauma to the tooth in question?did she also do a vitality test?..(place a v.cold cotton bud and see how long the pain lasted for)
do you have a swelling above the tooth root on the gum?
have you had any nights of throbbing toothache that have woken you up from your sleep?
Sorry about all the questions, but it would help with an answer for you.
rex said:
peterpeter said:
did the dentist take an x-ray of the tooth and its root.?
did she also do a vitality test?..(place a v.cold cotton bud and see how long the pain lasted for)
do you have a swelling above the tooth root on the gum?
have you had any nights of throbbing toothache that have woken you up from your sleep?
Sorry about all the questions, but it would help with an answer for you.
Futher to these questions is there any history of trauma to the tooth in question?did she also do a vitality test?..(place a v.cold cotton bud and see how long the pain lasted for)
do you have a swelling above the tooth root on the gum?
have you had any nights of throbbing toothache that have woken you up from your sleep?
Sorry about all the questions, but it would help with an answer for you.
GordonL said:
Any pain on hot drinks like tea or coffee?
Any feeling of looseness in the tooth? Does it hurt to bite on it? Does the pain wake you up in the night?
--
Gordon
Hi Gordon. I never drink hot drinks, so that's hard to tell. I just tried some of the OH's tea, to test, and it seems ok with just a sip. Would I need to test with more?Any feeling of looseness in the tooth? Does it hurt to bite on it? Does the pain wake you up in the night?
--
Gordon
No feeling of looseness I don't think.
I dont think it hurts to bite on it
The pain doesn't wake me up in the night.
It could be that the grinding of your teeth in your sleep is aggravating the little ligament that holds the tooth in place, sort of like bruising your toe with a tight pair of shoes, or it could be that the nerve is slowly dying off and you will need a root canal treatment. It's one of those hard ones that really needs a proper exam to sort out and even then it will be tricky to diagnose. There's really no way anyone on a forum can give you a better answer I think.
GordonL said:
It could be that the grinding of your teeth in your sleep is aggravating the little ligament that holds the tooth in place, sort of like bruising your toe with a tight pair of shoes, or it could be that the nerve is slowly dying off and you will need a root canal treatment. It's one of those hard ones that really needs a proper exam to sort out and even then it will be tricky to diagnose. There's really no way anyone on a forum can give you a better answer I think.
So how can I push my dentist to actually provide a proper exam? All she did was what I've said. Said the x-ray isn't clear, but it needs a root canal.A quick question about root canals. I am starting to have issues with one of my wisdom teeth, pushing against and damaging the next tooth. I have a crowded mouth, would it be bad to just lose the tooth in this case and live with a gap? I only ask as a friend of mine had a root canal on the same tooth and as the wisdom tooth grew it just wrecked the work done for the root canal and more damage was done to the tooth. I assume the same could happen to a filling.
I'm not running a free dental advice column here for the rest of you 
You could try posting on www.dentalfearcentral.com where I do hang out of an evening and there are several other dentists to help out.
Back to the original topic... the next step in the diagnosis would be to check the health of the nerve in the tooth, this can be best done with a special electrical gadget called an electronic pulp tester, sometimes you can use a bit of ice to check, but the EPT gives a more reliable indicator. If that's not conclusiive, then sometimes making a little hole in the back of the tooth with a motor can be useful, if you feel nothing then the nerve is probably gone and it's time for the RCT.
When Peter-Peter asked you about vitality tests, you said that hadn't been done?
You could try posting on www.dentalfearcentral.com where I do hang out of an evening and there are several other dentists to help out.
Back to the original topic... the next step in the diagnosis would be to check the health of the nerve in the tooth, this can be best done with a special electrical gadget called an electronic pulp tester, sometimes you can use a bit of ice to check, but the EPT gives a more reliable indicator. If that's not conclusiive, then sometimes making a little hole in the back of the tooth with a motor can be useful, if you feel nothing then the nerve is probably gone and it's time for the RCT.
When Peter-Peter asked you about vitality tests, you said that hadn't been done?
Geoffers said:
Apologies for jumping on the free advice band wagon!!
I was wondering the best way to prevent bleeding gums, I have brushed at least 3 times a day, flossed, mouthwash etc!
Had this years ago, and seem to remember i was given antibiotics.
Is this the only way forward!
many many thanks!
It depends if you have gingivitis, which is bleeding gums caused by plaque bacteria or if its the more serious periodontitis, which follows from gingivitis in about 20% of the population, this is when the bacteria have been destroying the fibres which hold the tooth and gum together to form pockets.I was wondering the best way to prevent bleeding gums, I have brushed at least 3 times a day, flossed, mouthwash etc!
Had this years ago, and seem to remember i was given antibiotics.
Is this the only way forward!
many many thanks!
Antibiotics are no good for gingivitis, you can sort this out by brushing right down where the tooth and gum meet, when you floss if you slide the floss slightly under the gum 2-3mm and it will naturally stop.
Periodontitis will need the help of your dentist and hygienist.
Clear as mud? Its been a long day!
Och what the hell, it's better than washing the dishes...
Persistent bleeding gums... two things, one get to see a hygienist to make sure you're actually removing plaque properly, you could be missing stuff. Second thing, some people have a naturally short upper lip which lets the gums dry out a bit, if the bleeding is worse in the morning then this could be a factor, assuming you have that sort of facial shape. Don't know if this might apply, but err pregnancy can cause bleeding gums too!
Wisdom teeth... the current guidance is not to remove them unless they're causing problems, usually pain/stiffness opening the mouth, bad taste... occasionally they can damage the tooth in front, unless the damage is severe it's usually best to remove the wisdom tooth and fix the one in front.
Persistent bleeding gums... two things, one get to see a hygienist to make sure you're actually removing plaque properly, you could be missing stuff. Second thing, some people have a naturally short upper lip which lets the gums dry out a bit, if the bleeding is worse in the morning then this could be a factor, assuming you have that sort of facial shape. Don't know if this might apply, but err pregnancy can cause bleeding gums too!
Wisdom teeth... the current guidance is not to remove them unless they're causing problems, usually pain/stiffness opening the mouth, bad taste... occasionally they can damage the tooth in front, unless the damage is severe it's usually best to remove the wisdom tooth and fix the one in front.
GordonL said:
Back to the original topic... the next step in the diagnosis would be to check the health of the nerve in the tooth, this can be best done with a special electrical gadget called an electronic pulp tester, sometimes you can use a bit of ice to check, but the EPT gives a more reliable indicator. If that's not conclusiive, then sometimes making a little hole in the back of the tooth with a motor can be useful, if you feel nothing then the nerve is probably gone and it's time for the RCT.
When Peter-Peter asked you about vitality tests, you said that hadn't been done?
Hi Gordon,When Peter-Peter asked you about vitality tests, you said that hadn't been done?
My dentist is NHS - Can I ask them to provide an electronic pulp test? I presume this would cost me a further £16.20 for another appointment? (Not that it's going to break the bank)
I'll try to do that with them, and also to ask if they can show me what is wrong on the x-ray.
I know a dentist knows best, but I don't want to have work done that is unneccessary. Especially when it's my front tooth, so it will have a huge impact on my looks (perhaps vain, but I'm only 24).
Many thanks for your help so far.
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