Archive for the ‘endodontology’ Category

Using toxins – good or bad?

Posted by Dental News Team On February - 5 - 2010

Using toxins is bad!

But why is it done? The answer is simple: time!

You walk into the dentist’s office with a toohache, but without an appointment, since you cannot plan for a toothache. But getting rid of the pain for good requires thorough root treatment, for which there is just not enough time right then and there. So the tooth is opened up and a toxin injected in the hope that the tooth, and you as a patient, will not cause any more trouble before your next appointment. This process is known as „incomplete“ root canal treatment.

This need not be a problem, sometimes a dental nerve just cannot be filled immediately, it is necessary to perform intermediate steps. But a toxin should not be administered, as it also ends up damaging healthy tissue, e.g. the bone around the root tip, eventually leading to a root tip resection. Instead of toxins, it is also possible to use medicines such as CaOH – Calcium hydroxide!

Regular check-ups can help prevent both – toothaches and incomplete treatment!

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Inflammation of the dental nerve

Posted by Dental News Team On February - 1 - 2010

Dental nerve pain is usually a very bad sign, as it means the tooth requires root treatment!

An initial sign of this kind of inflammation of the dental nerve (=pulpitis) is often a sensitivity towards cold and heat, eventually leading to a constant throbbing toothache.
The tooth is sensitive to the slightest touch. After a few days, these problems usually go away, and you no longer feel any pain! But this is actually a sure sign that the dental nerve should be removed and proper root canal treatment performed, since the nerve is now dead.

The damaged tissue begins to decay – it rots and even years later it can cause an inflammation at the root tip in the bone, necessitating a root tip resection. During root canal treatment the dentist extracts the dental nerve and cleanses the dental canal in order to then seal it up tightly!
Earlier, it was common practice to open up the affected tooth and inject a toxin into the dental nerve canal in order to kill off the nerve. Tomorrow you will find out why this used to be done and why it is not done anymore!

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Dental nerve pain

Posted by Dental News Team On January - 29 - 2010

Extract the dental nerve and then perform root canal treatment or kill the nerve using a toxin?

Generally: the longer a dental nerve is exposed or undernourished, the less rosy the future of the tooth!

Toxins should not be used, as they damage not only the dental nerve, but also the surrounding bone. But the tooth should not simply be left open – saliva contains hundreds of different bacteria, which are liable to invade an open tooth and are hard to remove after that.
The problem faced by doctor’s offices is timing. Toothaches appear without due warning, so toothache patients cannot just „make appointments“. This is when dentists resort to toxins, treatment of the „open tooth“, this does not take very long and is easy to squeeze into the ordinary daily schedule of the office! A separate appointment is then made for the actual root treatment.

However long treatment takes, it is important to use a magnifier (magnifying glass, microscope) and coffer dam. This vastly improves the chances of saving your tooth!

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Toothache after root canal treatment

Posted by Dental News Team On January - 15 - 2010

Toothache after root treatment – is this normal or is it malpractice?

The tooth aches and needs to be treated, but the ache still does not go away, is this normal?

wurzelbehandlungAfter root treatment it is normal for the tooth to continue hurting for another 2-3 days. This is because the bone around the tip of the root is irritated by treatment, and this can cause pain. But If the pain gets worse, you should inform your dentist.

Here you can see how root treament is performed and what are the triggers to do it ...

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Dental fistula

Posted by Dental News Team On December - 11 - 2009

Fistula operation – yes or no?

Yes!

A fistula in the mouth is the body’s reaction to a chronic infection. A fistula can appear just about anywhere in the body, either bone or tissue (e.g. muscles and inner organs).

Like the Latin said – “Ubi Pus, ibi evacuvave” – wherever you find pus, empty it out!

Doctors are not the only ones who act according to this principle, our body does too! Imagine you have a chronic infection somewhere in your body – for example the bone around the dental root (e.g. due to a badly performed root canal). Pus starts to form, which the body tries to get rid of, the medical term being abscess. The tissue around this bubble of pus  – the abscess – is destroyed, forming a path of pus towards the inside of the mouth.

fistelFistula:
If the inflammation is not treated, the pus turns into a fistula. As the body tries to „minimize“ both the infection and the extent of the pus, it constructs a special type of granulate tissue around the pus … forming a fistula, protecting the tissue around it while the pus empties out.

A fistula is basically a kind of artificial garden hose made by our body to get pus out of a wound – and in this case into the mouth. You usually notice a bump on your gums, and when you press it, pus comes out!

A fistula on the gums is always a sign that something is wrong, and it should not be left untreated, because the infection will spread and continue to destroy bone, the dark spot on the x-ray!

Here you can find out how to read an x-ray!

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