If the teeth look thinner near the gums, or if one or more prong-like projections are visible, the issue may be an exposed tooth root. An exposed root may not be visible, however, depending on the location of the affected tooth.
The most common procedure to achieve this goal is a gum graft, which uses your own gum tissue taken typically from the roof of your mouth or from a donor source. The tissue is placed in the space between your tooth and gums and are sutured together. Once the healing process is complete, your gum line will be restored.
If your tooth nerves are exposed, you do not need an emergency dentist to tell you it's an emergency. The debilitating pain that comes with merely eating or brushing will force you to seek urgent dental care. Before you get to the dental office, you can use sugarless gum to cover the exposed tooth for temporary relief.
What Causes Exposed Tooth Roots? In some cases, receding gums or exposed tooth roots are the result of wear and tear of years of aggressive brushing. But they can also be caused by gum disease or periodontal disease. Other possible causes include smoking and tobacco use, tooth grinding, and misaligned teeth.
How Long is the Tooth Exposure Recovery Process? It's important to note that while impacted tooth exposure surgery is minor, it does require careful attention to the post-operative care. Monitor the area for unusual swelling or signs of infection, but it should heal rather quickly, usually within ten to fourteen days.
There are generally two procedures to fix exposed tooth roots: 1) a general dentist can cover the exposed tooth roots with bonding, or tooth colored resin, or 2) a periodontist can perform a gum graft to protect the tooth roots.
On average, a tooth nerve pain can last from as little as just a few days to as long as 4-6weeks or, in some instances, even longer. Considering the numbness ad sharp pain that may occur with a tooth nerve, you have to do what you can to get rid of the pain as soon as possible.
Exposed Nerves can be Excruciating
Emergency dentists suggest that you can chew a piece of sugarless gum and then use it to cover the exposed nerve to give you the temporary relief you need until you can get to the dentist for treatment.
Having an exposed nerve in your tooth is often an agonizing experience, with severe, sharp pain from eating, brushing, or merely brushing against the tooth with your tongue. It's a problem for a qualified emergency dentist to address.
Severe Pain
When the tooth root is exposed, this exposes the nerve attached to the tooth, and exposed nerves can hurt. Severe pain in your gums or tooth that occurs when you breathe in through your mouth, eat, drink, or do nothing at all is a sign that you should seek dental care right away.
Brush Carefully
To be on the safe side, don't brush or rinse the mouth in the first 24 hours after the tooth extraction procedure. Thereafter, brush with care and don't allow the toothbrush to get close to the extraction site. Also, don't swish water, mouthwash or any oral care fluid in your mouth.
It is common for patients to experience swelling around the cheeks, mouth, eyes, and sides of the face. This reaction is expected and a normal part of the healing process. Usually, the swelling peaks within 72 hours, then will take 5–6 days to subside. Ice packs can be used for swelling reduction.
Exposing buried teeth
Leaving these teeth alone to not erupt normally may cause unnecessary pain while damaging the roots and alignment of many teeth, especially the front teeth.
The remaining tooth structure is two colors
This coloration indicates that the dentin of the tooth has been fractured, as well as the enamel. Fractured dentin can result in some cold sensitivity and can be sensitive when chewing. However, this is not an emergency.
Dental bonding: A dentist can use a special tooth-coloured resin to cover the dentin exposure in a tooth or teeth to prevent the symptoms. Often, this is the best choice for dentin exposure where an external injury, such as a cracked tooth, is the cause.
At about a year, a person is doing severe damage to the health of their teeth and gums by not brushing every day. However, this may not always be the case. Some patients might not develop any cavities after a year of no brushing but have horrible gum disease while some patients may have the reverse.
If you've eaten an acidic food or drink, avoid brushing your teeth right away. These acids weaken tooth enamel, and brushing too soon can remove enamel.
It is recommended you do not have anything to eat or drink (except for water) at least 5 hours before your scheduled appointment. This will prevent food debris from lodging in your teeth, which can irritate you during a cleaning and give your dentist a little extra work to do.
Antibiotics Aren't A Cure
While certain antibiotics are helpful in reducing the amount of pain and infection in a tooth, they are by no means a cure. Once the nerve is damaged, it will need to be removed via endodontic therapy.
What are the symptoms of an exposed nerve? An exposed tooth nerve will often leave you in pain, creating discomfort particularly when you eat or drink something that triggers or exacerbates tooth sensitivity. This is one of the most common and obvious signs of sensitivity.
Signs and symptoms of an infected tooth
Painful throbbing in your tooth, jawbone or near your neck. Sensitivity to hot and cold temperatures. Sensitivity to the pressure (chewing or biting) Fever.
Determining the risk of nerve damage with proper imaging is critical. A panorex and CBCT scan is done to determine the level of risk during an extraction. If a tooth is considered high risk then a coronectomy is indicated. A coronectomy is the removal of the entire crown of the third molar, leaving the roots in place.
Whilst monitoring your symptoms your dentist may mark the area of numbness and take photographs in order to mark your progress. The dentist will then monitor your numbness by stimulating the area of numbness by touch, pin prick sensation, taste stimulation and 'two point discrimination'.