It’s Halloween Week and The Walking Dead is back on air. Naturally it is a very spooky time of year. As part of our Dentalween Scare week we have been posting scary, but real dental conditions on our social media accounts to spread awareness of dental disease and conditions. Most dental conditions can be prevented with regular check-ups with your dentist and hygienist. Keeping and attending your regularly prescribed appointments of 3, 4, or 6 months can save you pain and money.
There are so many scary, ugly, painful dental conditions to choose from, but this Halloween we want to tell you about… the DEAD TOOTH!
A dead tooth can often be recognized by its dark color, often originating from the center of the tooth. To explain how and why a dead tooth occurs, we must first explain how the tooth is composed of layers and it’s aliveeeeee. All Halloween jokes aside, your teeth are composed of three main living layers of tissue: pulp, dentin, and enamel. The pulp is the innermost layer that houses the blood vessels and nerve fibers. Your teeth rely on blood flow to bring nutrients, oxygen, and other components to the teeth to stay alive. If any part of the pulp is damaged and interferes with blood flow to the tooth, the tooth can die. This is commonly known as a dead tooth.
As you can see from the diagram to the right, an injury, infection, or damage to the tooth that would cause the pulp to be affected could be the cause of a dead tooth. A person may or may not know they have a dead tooth, however, a dead tooth can be accompanied by pain or discoloration. The discoloration is caused by the dead tissue becoming visible through the enamel. This can be a source of embarrassment for a person, but can typically be fixed with a dental crown, implant, or veneer. The most important thing is that the tooth does not become infected. If a damaged or dying tooth is found earlier enough by your dentist, there are treatments to reverse the damage. This is why our dental team always stresses the importance of regular dental check-ups!
You can prevent a dead tooth from possibly occurring by thorough brushing and flossing, routine dental visits, a healthy diet, and using preventive equipment such as mouth guards while playing sports. This Halloween make sure that the only thing that’s scary is your costume and not your smile!
For more information on dead or damaged teeth, or any other dental concern, please do not hesitate to contact our office at (714) 424-9099 or book your appointment through our website at www.mycostamesadentist.com. Dr. Jeremy Jorgenson is the owner and sole dentist at Advanced Dental Care located at 3033 Bristol St. Ste. AA, Costa Mesa, CA 92626.