The inflammatory process that occurs in the periodontal tissues that surround the tooth root is called periodontitis. Several causes of the disease can be identified:
- untreated caries
- untreated pulpitis
- injury received
- mistakes made in dental canal treatment
The most common causes of tooth root inflammation are problems associated with caries and pulpitis. In any case, treatment should be carried out in several stages. Left to chance, this dental disease can provoke serious general somatic problems, so it is necessary to approach the treatment of tooth root inflammation with all seriousness.
For what reasons can a tooth root become inflamed?
Despite the availability of many effective methods of therapeutic treatment of inflammation under the tooth root, it is often necessary to resort to the use of surgical treatment methods. This is indicated in the following cases:
- Root canal obstruction was detected
- there is a pin or stump tab that cannot be removed without damaging the root
- there are many cysts - perihilar or growing into the maxillary sinus
- there is a perforation (perforation) of the wall of the tooth root or its cavity
- The use of conservative methods of treating root inflammation does not help
Important:
Most often, periodontitis refers to inflammation in the area of the apex of the tooth root (apical, periapical periodontitis). The cause of tooth root inflammation is untimely treatment of caries and pulpitis. Another type of disease, marginal periodontitis, is classified as periodontology; in this case, the lesion spreads to the gums in the cervical part of the tooth.
Problem
For dentists, tooth discoloration is one of the important problems that they solve with whitening, and this technology is constantly being improved. This problem has a name - discoloration. The term means a pathological change in color in the enamel area.
Discoloration can be of two types. The first is endogenous, that is, the color given to us by nature, the shade with which we were born and live. The second is exogenous, these are changes from external stimuli. Most often it is red wine, then, depending on the strength of its effect, tea, coffee, tobacco, some berries and fruits. Even sauces, such as soy and pomegranate. The reason is the pigments that these products contain. If giving up tobacco is difficult, but possible, then eliminating food and wine from your diet is impossible.
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Symptoms and treatment
Periodontitis can be chronic and worsen. The characteristic symptoms that are revealed during examination by a dentist and as a result of anamnesis vary depending on the stage of development of the disease.
Exacerbation of periodontitis is characterized by the following signs and complaints from the patient:
- Regardless of the time of day, you are constantly haunted by a monotonous, equally intense, aching toothache.
- When pressing on the tooth, the pain intensifies
- There is a feeling that the tooth has “grown” - it interferes and does not allow the jaws to connect, since any attempt to do this ends in a painful attack
- The accumulation of purulent contents provokes pulsating pain, radiating along the branches of the trigeminal nerve
- Feeling worse, weakness appears, temperature rises
- Submandibular lymph nodes may become enlarged
Exacerbation may be accompanied by serous and purulent discharge. In case of purulent periodontitis, the doctor is first faced with the task of getting rid of pus: the tooth cavity is cleaned, the canals are treated.
Symptoms of tooth root inflammation in chronic form are not so pronounced:
- The tooth does not hurt constantly, but when pressing, unpleasant pain occurs
- A fistula may occur with frequently exacerbating granulating periodontitis. In this case, under the influence of exudate, the tissues “melt” and the exudate exits through a hole in the gum located in the area of the root apex. In the remission stage, such a formation looks like a changed area of the mucous membrane
- The presence of bad breath (halitosis) is also a sign of chronic apical periodontitis. Microorganisms that cause caries contribute to the destruction of hard tooth tissues, enter its internal cavity and provoke tissue death in the pulp, which leads to the accumulation of necrotic masses, which are the main factor of halitosis.
The chronic form of tooth root inflammation is treated conservatively in most cases; only in the most advanced cases is surgery prescribed. Modern standards of all medicine and dentistry in particular consider any disease comprehensively, that is, they do not treat fistulas, cysts or granulomas separately. In the treatment of tooth root inflammation, antibiotics, painkillers and other medications are used.
Why do stains appear on enamel?
Pigmentation, whitish areas on milk and permanent teeth occur in 40% of children. Some babies have barely noticeable dark dots and streaks, while others have spots reaching more than 5 mm. White spots on a child’s teeth do not stand out against wet enamel, so parents do not always notice them. Only after drying the teeth do the defects become clearly visible.
The main reason for the appearance of yellowish and whitish areas on teeth is enamel hypoplasia. This is a defect caused by a violation of metabolic processes during the formation and mineralization of teeth. Adverse factors can affect tooth germs at the stage of intrauterine development and up to 6–8 years. Diseases during pregnancy of the expectant mother lead to underdevelopment of the enamel of the mammary units. Hypoplasia of permanent teeth is preceded by disturbances in mineral metabolism in a child.
The location of areas with underdeveloped enamel depends on the age at which the baby suffered the disease. Spots on the front teeth of children appear due to diseases suffered from 5 to 9 months of life. During this period, incisors and fangs are formed. The timing of tooth formation is not the same, the spots are at different levels. With a long-term disease and significant metabolic disturbances, areas of hypoplasia are located throughout the crown.
The depth of enamel changes depends on the severity of the disease. Chalky stains on teeth are a mild degree of hypoplasia caused by minor short-term diseases. Smooth glossy spots do not cause painful discomfort. Severe pathologies lead to profound changes in the enamel. Teeth erupt brown, with areas of exposed dentin and erosion of the enamel layer.
If dark spots appear on your child’s teeth, sign up for a consultation at our Family Dentist clinic. We will establish the correct diagnosis and choose an effective treatment method.
Relieve pain before going to the doctor
For any form of periodontitis, it is necessary to make an appointment with a doctor, but often the aching tooth “does not want” to wait for the appointed time and hurts unbearably. Taking a pain reliever will help relieve the condition. For toothache, experts advise taking medications that are most optimal for such cases. The pill will not cure, but it will relieve the pain. This does not mean that you can postpone a visit to the doctor - after the pill wears off, the pain will return, so a trip to the dentist should not be postponed or put off “for later”.
Prevention of pain in the eyeball
Prevention of pain in the eyeball first of all requires timely treatment of the causes that caused such a syndrome .
In most cases, only one thing is possible: get examined by an ophthalmologist.
He will either prescribe an appropriate course of treatment or refer the patient to other specialized specialists to determine the causes of the pain.
If the pathology develops against the background of “dry eye” syndrome or pain occurs due to overwork, it is enough to adjust your sleep schedule, review your daily schedule and avoid working at the computer for too long .
If you need to constantly use contact lenses or glasses, from time to time it is necessary to give your eyes a break from optics and perform special ophthalmic exercises.
Remember! It is also recommended to instill special moisturizing drops according to the instructions for use or as needed.
If the tissues and blood vessels of the eyes are depleted, it is recommended to use vitamin complexes . It is very important to pay attention to the rules of personal hygiene and try not to rub your eyes with your hands on the street and in public places.
Features of the treatment of periodontitis with fistula
The inflammatory process can occur with complications, one of them is odontogenic fistula. More often it occurs with granulating periodontitis. These are holes in the mucous membrane, formed as a result of the proliferation of granulations and destruction of the tissues surrounding the tooth. Through the resulting fistula, pus is released, which is formed during inflammation under the root of the tooth.
To some extent, the resulting fistula helps to reduce the pain experienced by a person: the purulent contents do not linger in the tissues, but come out, easing the course of the disease. But you should not delay the examination by the dentist and the appointment of treatment - this is fraught with tooth loss.
The fistula will not disappear on its own; it is necessary to remove the cause that caused it – inflammation in the periodontal tissues. The treatment regimen for root inflammation is standard in all cases:
- thorough mechanical cleaning of the canals
- carrying out disinfection
- temporary filling with a drug until inflammation in the periodontium disappears
In particularly advanced cases, overgrown granulations are surgically removed.
Why do the gums around the tooth turn red and how to treat them?
Inflammatory processes in the tissues of the oral cavity appear in people quite often and are accompanied by inflammation of the gums. At the same time, red gums can hurt and bleed, which can eventually lead to sad consequences for the tooth near which the problem is observed.
Reddened and inflamed gums should be a reason for an immediate visit to the dentist. Self-medication is not recommended to avoid possible complications, for example, tooth loss.
Treatment methods
As already noted, in modern dentistry, preference is given to conservative treatment. However, it is often impossible to fully treat tooth root inflammation without surgical intervention.
Conservative treatment
This is a complex methodology that includes several types of activities:
- mechanical cleaning of channels
- disinfection of canals using medications
- Temporary filling with medication
Conservative therapy includes the prescription of antibiotics for inflammation of the tooth root.
Surgery
Involves the operation:
- removal of 1/3 of the root tip
- removal of part of the root (hemisection)
- removal of a tooth from the dental socket
Important: Doctors try to save teeth using all conservative treatment methods available today, since they are successful in 70-90% of cases.
The procedure for tasting wines through the eyes of dentists
During tastings, we are used to alternating wines in this order: first sparkling wines, then still whites, roses and finally red wines. From a dental point of view, this is incorrect and harmful to the color of teeth. Wine has low pH values, with white and sparkling wines having a lower pH than red ones. When white wine hits the surface of the teeth, wines with a lower pH value begin the process of erosion, the tooth becomes more porous, and then red wine stains the teeth more. Based on this, taking into account the difference in pH between wines, you should drink red wines first, and then white and finally sparkling wines. In this order, we will be more careful about the color of our teeth.
Stages of periodontitis treatment
How many times you will have to come to the doctor to treat inflammation at the root of the tooth depends directly on the form of the disease, in remission or during an exacerbation. The course of treatment is also influenced by the method chosen by the doctor. Often, therapy requires a course consisting of several stages of treatment and a visit to the dentist. Until the inflammatory process is eliminated, the tooth cannot be filled, so you will have to visit your doctor several times:
- Preparatory stage. Diagnosis of the condition of the tooth root using x-rays
- When removing the old filling, the tooth is drilled to open access to the canals and remove the nerve
- Channels are expanded to the required size
- Treating the canals with antiseptic drugs and applying medication
- A temporary filling is installed
- At the next visit, the temporary filling is removed and the canals are treated with antiseptic. This stage can last for weeks, or even months - the process will be repeated until the inflammatory focus is completely eliminated and the number of visits will depend on this
- A permanent filling is placed and x-rays are taken again for control.
In addition to the procedures performed in the clinic, the patient must undergo antibacterial and anti-inflammatory therapy. At home, he should do warm rinses with special antiseptic solutions (herbal, medicinal - as recommended by a doctor).
Prevention
- Preventing any disease is easier than treating it afterwards. This is a true statement, so regular dental checkups should become a good habit. If you live in St. Petersburg, Krasnodar, Novorossiysk or Moscow, then you can contact any of the branches of the INTAN dental network for the best qualified help
- Also, timely treatment of caries and pulpitis will help to avoid periodontitis and its attendant complications. The cost of treating them will be higher and more time will be required.
- In case of acute inflammation at the root of the tooth, a quick visit to the doctor and timely treatment will relieve complications and prevent the process from becoming chronic.
- If caries is detected at any stage, you need to make an appointment with a doctor as soon as possible, undergo an examination and prescribed treatment (remove damaged tooth tissue, filling)
- Compliance with hygiene rules (brush your teeth twice a day with a properly selected brush and toothpaste, use dental floss)
- Diet is important. Dairy products and protein-rich foods, fresh vegetables and fruits should always be on the table. Minimize the consumption of sugar-containing foods and sweet carbonated water.
- Visit your doctor every six months for a check-up and professional teeth cleaning
Following simple rules for oral care will help you avoid inflammation of the tooth root and all the troubles associated with it.
Stages of caries
Like any disease, caries develops gradually, manifesting itself with new symptoms as it progresses. Treatment of caries depends on the degree of complexity of the disease, that is, the depth of penetration of caries into the dental tissue. Below are brief descriptions of each stage of the disease with a description of its characteristic symptoms.
Spot
The initial stage of carious disease in the form of a light or dark spot is considered the easiest to treat, since it does not require significant dental interventions and is most often treated with several procedures to restore tooth enamel. In some cases, it is difficult to identify caries on your own at the stain stage due to the specific location of the tooth.
Superficial caries
Superficial caries destroys tooth enamel and affects the top layer of dentin. The structure of the tooth surface changes - the damaged area of dental tissue becomes uneven, rough, and sometimes grooves or lines appear on it. At this stage, the damaged tooth becomes more sensitive and reacts to temperature changes.
Median caries
Median caries is characterized by damage to the deeper layers of dentin. Caries at this stage causes increased tooth sensitivity, sharp pain during eating, and also for no apparent reason.
Deep caries
Deep caries is a complex form of the disease, characterized by a tendency to rapid progression and the development of complications. Damage to the deep layers of dental tissue most often contributes to the transition of carious disease to the dental pulp. Deep caries is manifested by acute pain that occurs at any time of the day, regardless of the patient’s activities, for no apparent reason. Sometimes the pain can last up to several hours, varying in intensity.
