A deep cavity or a trauma can cause stabbing pain and the dentist says you need a tooth devitalisation?
This may not seem very reassuring, however tooth devitalisation is one of the best conservative procedures to save your tooth from extraction. It is not painful and it can solve the problem in a short time.
WHAT IT IS AND WHO DOES IT?
In simple words, devitalising implies the removal of the infected dental pulp – that section of vital tooth where nerves and blood vessels pass – in order to perform a deep cleaning of the dental element.
The treatment is carried out by an endodontist – an orthodontist specialized in the diagnosis and diseases of the dental pulp.
THE PROCEDURE?
Local anesthesia and the positioning of the rubber dam prepare the tooth to be treated.
The first step is to drill a small HOLE in the dental crown which will enable to enter the pulp chamber and remove the inflamed pulp.
The second phase is called CLEANSING. It consists of a meticulous cleaning of the root canal of the tooth to eliminate any bacteria and tissue residuals.
The final step is the FILLING, that is filling the root canal with biocompatible materials to seal the tooth and avoid the possible entry of bacteria and food residuals.
After a few days the filling is followed by the SEALANT to protect the tooth. This can be a reconstruction in composite material, if the tooth is little compromised, or a crown which encapsulates the treated tooth, in order to restore the correct chewing function, if the tooth is very compromised.
IS IT PAINFUL?
Devitalisation itself is not painful, thanks to local anesthesia. After surgery, some ailment may appear. This can appen especially if the treated tooth had a deep infection with an inflamed periodontal tissue which anyways can be treated with antibiotics prescribed by the dentist.
Watch out for possible traumas caused by the chewing of excessively hard foods and the periodontal tissue. Even if devitalised, you must consider that pressure receptors underneath the tooth are always vital and function regularly, so they can make you feel pain.
Suggestion: avoid biting and chewing with the devitalised tooth until the final filling or crowning. You must know that the unconstructed tooth is more fragile and more exposed to the risk of fracturing
WHEN IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO TURN TO DEVITALISATION
In case of teeth compromised by a severe fracture or when the appropriate bone support is missing and cannot be restored.
