TOOTH PAIN RELIEF
Drs. Angela Rasmussen and Amanda del Cueto of Gentle Dentistry in Tampa, Florida, are no strangers to resolving dental pain for patients. Our talented professional team restores the health and comfort of the smile promptly with effective remedies. If you have a toothache, you will first need an accurate diagnosis to discuss possible treatment options.
GETTING A CLEAR DIAGNOSIS OF YOUR TOOTHACHE
To narrow down the cause of your dental issue, we must first understand the underlying condition. Several oral problems are “silent” in the earliest stages, or the symptoms might be so subtle that most patients do not even realize they are there.
Some of the more common causes of tooth pain that our team might find include:
- Bacterial infections or abscesses that result from decay or trauma
- Caries, also known as cavities or tooth decay that have grown to the point of causing an infection in the innermost pulp tissues and nerves of the tooth
- Fractures and cracks caused by high stress and pressure on the tooth, especially on those that have larger fillings without dental crowns
- Hyperocclusion also referred to as a high bite, where some teeth have stronger biting forces than others in the smile
- Irritation to the nerves inside the roots of your teeth
- Individual teeth which do not fully heal following endodontic therapy
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE REMEDIES FOR TOOTHACHES?
Depending on what our dental team at Gentle Dentistry finds during your initial comprehensive evaluation and appointment, treatment may include any of the following:
Equilibration
Gradual adjustments to a high bite. In addressing hyperocclusion, we support ideal contact between the opposing teeth in the upper and lower jaws. Your teeth, muscles, and joints can work together uniformly for optimal jaw movement and comfort.
For some patients experiencing symptoms of a poorly functioning chewing system, your doctor May recommend a procedure called equilibration to create more ideal contact between your upper and lower teeth. This process can require multiple appointments to complete. After a thorough evaluation of your chewing system, your doctor will take impressions of your upper and lower teeth. These impressions are used to create a set of models of your mouth that your doctor uses to analyze the way your teeth contact and determine the most effective way to adjust them. Next, your doctor strategically makes slight modifications re-contouring the cusps or points of your teeth or smoothing out Landing areas for the cusps allowing them to fit together better when you bite down. Your doctor May smoothen some areas of your front teeth as well to allow them better movement. As your chewing system adapts to the improved function, follow-up appointments may be necessary for your doctor to evaluate the contacts of your teeth and make additional modifications as needed. You may experience some changes in the way your muscles and teeth feel during this initial period. Once completed, the end result is a better alignment of your teeth muscles and joints, all working together more uniformly, allowing for optimal jaw movement and comfort.
Treatment of hypersensitive tooth necks. Another indication for Futurabond U treatment of hypersensitive tooth necks. Root dentine exposed by gingival recession is cleaned and dried. Exposed tooth neck is completely covered with Futurabond U, which is then wrapped in for 20 seconds. Solvents are removed by drying the adhesive layer with dry, oil-free air for 5 seconds. Then the material is light cured for 10 seconds which polymerizes the adhesive layer completely. The inhibition layer is removed with a foam pellet.
Desensitizer application
A desensitizing product is applied to clean and dry tooth roots, which may be exposed due to gum recession.
Root surface fillings
A tooth-colored dental composite is prepared, shaped, and adhered to repair lesions that make the tooth structure vulnerable to severe damage.
When repairing a non-carrier cervical lesion, your doctor may recommend using composite to restore the structure, shape, and appearance of your tooth. During the first step, the damaged portion of your tooth is prepared and shaped to allow the composite material to bond effectively to it. Next, a special bonding agent is applied to the prepared area. This bonding process helps to ensure that the composite will attach to the Natural tooth structure. A special curing light is then used to set the bonding fluid. Your doctor then applies the composite material to fill the prepared area and shapes it to match the contours of your tooth surface. Again, using the special curing light, the shaped composite is hardened and set in place. As a final step, your doctor will polish the composite to smoothen it and give it a similar sheen to the rest of your tooth. Once completed, the lesion has been repaired, and your tooth structure is restored to optimal strength and appearance.
Tissue grafting can address receding gums, help prevent bone and tooth loss, and improve the look of your smile. If left untreated, significant gum recession can cause bone and tooth loss and increase your risk for serious health problems like heart disease. Soft tissue allograft surgery is a type of soft tissue grafting that uses tissue from a donor bank. It’s advantageous because your doctor can treat more than one area of recession in your mouth at the same time. The area is sutured and given time to heal. Your doctor will let you know how long this will take. When fully recovered, your gums will return to a healthy level that protects the underlying area from additional damage.
Gingival grafting
We can build up gums that have sustained recession by using grafts or donor tissue. The graft aids in returning the gumline to health. These techniques may also be used for recontouring and to create a more attractive gumline.
Root Canal Therapy (RCT)
“Saves” teeth that are threatened by injury or infection due to decay by removing the infected tissues (including nerves, so you won’t feel pain!). Then, the cleaned area is sealed off, and the tooth is preserved.
A root canal is needed when the nerve of a tooth has become damaged by injury or infected by decay. This procedure saves the tooth and can help restore it to natural function. For the first step of this procedure, your doctor numbs the area and then creates an opening in the tooth to access the Root’s interior. Your doctor will then remove the infected tissue and flush and clean the area. Next, the root is filled with a special sealing material, and the opening is filled and sealed. The tooth has been saved and restored to its natural function.
Sometimes teeth that have had root canal therapy do not heal properly, which can lead to pain and reinfection of the affected tooth. A root canal re-treatment procedure can be done to remove the infection and save the tooth. The initial root canal treatment may not fully heal due to several causes which may include tooth decay or trauma, where bacteria is allowed to seep back into the root canal and reinfect the tooth. During a root canal re-treatment procedure, your doctor first removes any existing restorative materials in order to regain access to the root canal. Once the restorative material is removed, the canals are thoroughly cleaned and examined for any additional or misshaped canals that may require treatment. Next, the root is refilled with a special sealing material, and the opening at the top of the tooth is also refilled and sealed. Once the root canal retreatment is complete and the infection removed, your doctor will design and place a new crown over the tooth restoring it to proper form and function.
Root Canal Retreatment
If treated teeth do not heal properly, which leads to pain and reinfection, the restorative material may be removed. The canals are then re-cleaned and re-examined to ensure no additional or misshaped canals were missed during initial therapy. The tooth is refilled, sealed, and a new crown is placed.
Apicoectomy
Involves removing the residual infection at the end of a root. Once the tip is slightly reduced, the area is closed up and allowed to heal.
Sometimes even after endodontic treatment, more commonly known as a root canal has been performed on a tooth, there can be a residual infection remaining at the end of the root. In such a case, your doctor may recommend a procedure called apicoectomy be done to remove the infected area. Symptoms of an infection at the root tip include throbbing tooth pain, sensitivity to heat, and sensitivity to touch when chewing. If the infection progresses, it can cause fever, swollen lymph nodes, and sinus pain. If left untreated, it may result in loss of the tooth and spreading of the infection throughout your body. An apicoectomy involves your doctor accessing the infection through a small opening created above the tooth. The infected tissue is then removed from the area. Next, the tip of the root is slightly reduced to remove any additional infection, and then the opening is cleaned and filled with a special material. Once this is complete, the area is closed up and left to heal. Healing for an apicoectomy depends on the severity of the infection and can range from months to a year to fully heal. With the infection removed and the root resealed, the tooth has been saved and restored to its natural function.
WHICH TREATMENT IS RIGHT FOR ME?
We understand that no two situations are the same, which is why we are committed to ensuring patients receive the care they require, tailored to their unique needs. Drs. Angela Rasmussen and Amanda del Cueto of Gentle Dentistry work alongside patients to help them choose the treatment that best suits their situation—and their budget!
REQUEST AN APPOINTMENT TODAY
Call our team at Gentle Dentistry at (813) 734-7102 to get into a healthy habit or back on the right track with proactive dental care.
