Submitted by Emil M. Verban, Jr. DDS, Mclean County Dental
People often come into our office for a routine dental check-up and are surprised to hear that they need a treatment such as a filling, root canal or crown. They are surprised because they haven’t felt any pain. “Why do I need this treatment when I feel fine?” The answer is simple. By the time you feel pain, the decay has usually progressed to a more serious level, often causing more damage to the tooth and surrounding tissues and requiring a more involved and expensive procedure
Let’s take a cavity for example. As you probably know, a cavity is simply a term for a hole in your tooth caused by plaque, which is the sticky substance in your mouth made up mostly of germs. If a cavity is caught in the early stages while it is still small, the treatment is a simple filling. Cavities rarely cause any pain until they have been ignored for a long time and the tooth decay has gotten bigger and bigger, eventually breaking through the outer layer of the tooth to the nerves. Now, instead of the tooth only needing a simple filling, it may need a more extensive procedure such as a root canal.
A root canal is done when decay has reached the pulp of the tooth, which is the soft tissue in the center that contains nerves. The canal goes down through the roots of the tooth and into the surrounding bone. A root canal essentially hollows out the middle of the tooth, filling it and sealing it to prevent any bacteria from entering. The purpose of a root canal is to save the tooth because the soft middle part isn’t necessary for the tooth to still function well in your mouth.
But even teeth that need a root canal don’t always cause pain. A dentist can see if there is something wrong with the pulp of your tooth — the pulp may be damaged or begin to show signs of infection. If this is the case, then a root canal must be done to prevent further infection to the tooth and to nearby tissue.
A crown or cap is another treatment that is often needed, even though you aren’t feeling any pain. The crown is the part of the tooth above the gumline that is visible. A dental crown is a man made replacement that partially or completely covers the outside of the real tooth. There are many reasons why a dentist might recommend a crown. Some of the more common situations are when a tooth with a large filling shows signs of weakening or cracking. You don’t want to wait until it actually cracks, as that would expose the nerves and be extremely painful. A tooth that has had a root canal always needs to be finished off with a crown. Sometimes a dentist can see that a tooth is beginning to crack. In this case, a crown, that will hold the tooth together, can be put on and prevent the crack from causing any further problems.
Unfortunately, too many people only see a dentist when they are in pain. They often cite cost as the reason for skipping regular check-ups thinking, “My teeth feel fine, why pay for a check-up?” But like many other medical conditions, if you catch problems in the early stages, they are usually easier to treat with a simple procedure. But by the time you feel pain, the condition has almost always progressed to a more advanced stage, requiring more time and money to remediate.
For more information, you may contact Emil Verban, Jr., DDS at 309-662-8448 or visit www.mcleancountydental.com. McLean County Dental is located at 2103 E. Washington Street in Bloomington. Dr. Verban provides his patients both general dentistry expertise and also has the ability to provide specialized services such as cosmetic procedures and dental implants.
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