Is She Going to Lose This Tooth?

I damaged a front tooth while on vacation. The emergency dentist did a root canal treatment. When I got home, my dentist checked it out and said everything looked good. He then put a dental crown on it, which he said was necessary. A couple of years later, the tooth became very sensitive to hot and cold. The dentist checked it out and said that nothing is wrong with it. He even did an x-ray. The problem is that the tooth was really hurting, but he just sent me home. Now the tooth has stopped hurting, but I'm worried that I'm going to lose it. What do I do?

Catie

Dear Catie,

I'm glad you wrote. I can tell you are very scared.. I want to put your mind at ease. If you had a root canal treatment on your front tooth, than it would not be the tooth having pain to the hot or cold. Sometimes when there is a molar that has a root canal treatment, there can be extra canals that get missed. On a front tooth, that doesn't happen. That means the emergency dentist removed all the nerve from that tooth, so it won't be the one with the pain.

If you go back to the original accident, it is very likely that the adjacent front tooth was also damaged. It is common for a traumatized tooth to not act up for years. If it has stopped hurting, then one of two things has happened. Either the damaged tooth has recovered or the pulp inside the tooth is dying. If it is dying, it will start to turn darker.

You'll have to check the tooth with an x-ray every year or so. If it does die, you'll need another root canal treatment and dental crown. But, as long as you keep an eye on the tooth, it can be saved even if it needs a root canal.

Disclaimer: This article is general information from Dr. Harveer Kaur and is not a substitute for a dental exam, diagnosis, or treatment. Every mouth is different. If you have a concern about your teeth or gums, call our Ahwatukee office at (480) 283-0733 or our Chandler office at (480) 895-3252 and we will help you sort it out.

Dr. Harveer Kaur, DDS, BDS

Dr. Kaur is the founder of Kokopelli Dentistry, serving patients in Ahwatukee and Chandler, Arizona. She focuses on family and cosmetic dentistry.

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