Trauma, injury, and severe decay are all conditions that can cause your tooth die. When your tooth no longer sustains blood flow it is considered "non-vital" or dead. This also means that the nerves in the tooth are also dead. In order to protect the oral health of your other teeth, it's important to have your dentist in Mount Pleasant, SC examine your tooth to determine the best treatment for it.
What Are the Symptoms of a Dead Tooth?
The signs of a dead tooth that you might encounter if your tooth is no longer viable vary greatly with each patient. A dead tooth can cause no pain, but it also might be very painful. You might also notice a change in color of your tooth to yellow, gray, or black.
Infection
If you are experiencing pain, contact your dentist right away as this is an indicator of a dental infection and possible signs of a dead tooth. A dental infection won't go away without treatment from a dental professional, and it could potentially spread to other critical areas of the body including your jawbone, or even lead to tooth loss, so it's important to get treatment for your tooth.
Root canal therapy may be able to remove the infected tissue from inside your tooth, which preserves the outer structure. You will need to have your tooth strengthened with a dental crown to ensure that you have all the function you had before.
A tooth extraction is the other treatment for a non-vital tooth. Sometimes removing the tooth is necessary to protect the health of your other teeth and bone.
Contact East Cooper Smiles
If you notice dead tooth symptoms, or you're experiencing dental pain, please contact your team at East Cooper Smiles in Mount Pleasant, SC. We'll make every effort to see you as soon as possible so we can get you feeling comfortable and back on the path to wellness again.