No matter what steps you take to preserve your oral health, you might have to deal with a dead tooth at some point in your lifetime. Luckily, professional dental treatments are more effective than ever, and dentists can do quite a bit to prevent this unnecessary oral health complication.

At-Home Preventative Care

Professional care is very important, but your first line of defense against severe tooth decay is impeccable oral hygiene habits at home. Simply brushing and flossing multiple times a day will greatly reduce your risk of this oral health problem. You should also use antibacterial mouth wash at least once a day and avoid eating sugary products as much as possible. If you play any contact sports, then you must wear a mouthpiece at all times as well.

Professional Care

In addition to brushing and flossing, patients should also schedule dental appointments once every year or two. During those checkups, your dentist is going to look for issues such as severe discoloration, inflammation of the gums, and dental caries. While those issues might eventually lead to bigger problems, they can almost always be reversed as long as they are caught early on. The dentist is also going to thoroughly clean your teeth, and that will result in a brighter and healthier smile.

Signs of a Dead Tooth

As soon as the pulp inside a tooth no longer has a constant supply of fresh blood, the tooth will begin to die off. The most common sign of a dead tooth is a constant aching feeling in that area of the mouth. Some patients also struggle with sharp pains whenever they chew their food. Another unusual sign of a dead tooth is an unpleasant odor that never seems to go away no matter how often you brush your teeth.

Treatment Options

Treating a dead tooth is a relatively straightforward process, and your dentist should be able to restore the form and function of the tooth in one or two appointments. The first step in this process is clearing out any of the dead tissue that is inside the tooth. They will then fill the void with a rubber-like substance that prevents future fractures. Cosmetic dentistry is going to play an important role as well, as most patients cover their dead teeth with dental veneers or crowns.

When left untreated, a dead tooth could release dangerous bacteria into your bloodstream, and that is going to result in a wide variety of serious medical problems. That is just one of the many reasons why you should never ignore this common oral health issue.