Saturday 30 April 2011

Cavity Pain

One of the most dreaded and feared pain of all is dental pain. When a person has tooth decay, this is initially restricted to the enamel, which is the hard, white portion of the tooth without any sensation. However, if the tooth decay is allowed to progress unhindered, then it could reach the dentin and eventually the pulp. This is when the cavity pain becomes really unbearable and can even lead to sleepless nights. Given below are the causes and treatment options for cavity pain.

Cavity Pain Causes
The most common cause of pain in a cavity in the tooth is caries and tooth decay. As mentioned earlier, the caries is initially restricted to only the enamel. However, when this progresses into the dentin, that is the first time a person feels sensitivity. This sensitivity may be mild to moderate and may be aggravated by taking hot or cold food. This is one of the first cavity pain symptoms. If the tooth is not treated at this stage, then the caries progress towards the pulp. The progression of caries from the dentin to pulp is at a much faster rate compared to the progression of caries from enamel to dentin. This is because the structure of dentin is porous, hence, microorganisms manage to reach the pulp at a much faster rate.

Another cause for cavity pain may be trauma. Sometimes, a person may end up eating very hard food, which may chip the tooth at a weak point. This is more commonly seen in recently filled teeth. Some people may even complain of cavity pain after filling. This is generally seen in cases where the caries might have been very close to the pulp. In such a case, so as to avoid root canal treatment, as a last ditch effort, the cavity is filled with material that helps to form a bridge between the dentin and the pulp, like a calcium based filling. However, if this bridge is not formed and the caries progress unhindered, then it usually reaches the pulp and may lead to severe pain and acute pulpitis. At times, pain after a cavity filling may also be seen due to incomplete removal of caries or a loose restoration that allows seepage of caries into the tooth. Read more on toothache after filling.

Cavity Pain Remedies
To attain any kind of cavity pain relief, the treatment decided will depend on the cause of pain. In most cases, if the pain is not actual pain and is only sensitivity, then the case can be treated with the help of a deep filling which has a base that helps to regenerate the base of the cavity, that is, the dentin wall. If the caries is very deep, then with the help of an X-ray, it can be gaged whether or not the caries has reached the pulp. If the caries has reached the dental pulp, then only a root canal procedure can help save the tooth. In case of fractures to teeth, along with getting the tooth treated with a root canal treatment, the person's tooth will also most likely need to be fitted with a crown. When there is tooth pain after filling, the person will need to get an X-ray done to see what is wrong with the tooth and then accordingly, decide the treatment plan.

Read more on:

    * Dental Care
    * Dental Health

This was all about cavity pain causes and symptoms. When a person even begins to feel sensitivity in his teeth, it is best to visit the dentist at that point itself, for a root canal treatment may be avoidable at this stage. However, if a person lets the dental caries progress, then it may culminate in root canal treatment or even extraction of the tooth.

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