I’ve been running every morning for 12 years, and for the first time, last month, I fell. I fractured my left elbow, chipped two teeth, and broke the third tooth. The fractured tooth was bleeding intensely. I saw a dentist before I realized my elbow was fractured. I chose a dentist close to home because my regular dentist is 45 minutes away, and I didn’t know how much time I had. Anyway, the dentist extracted the tooth. The site is still achy sometimes, and it’s sensitive to warm or hot drinks and food. I notice it more after I walk. The extraction space looks okay. It’s just sensitive. I’m beginning to worry and regret going to a nearby dentist. Will the sensitivity decrease, or do I need to see my dentist before my appointment to restore my chipped teeth? Thanks. Jackson from Nashville, TN
Jackson,
After root canal treatment, your dentist will protect the tooth with the crown. You didn’t make a mistake by getting an emergency appointment with a nearby dentist. Whenever there is trauma to a tooth, it should be treated right away.
After physical exertion, if you’ve had a recent tooth extraction, it’s normal for the extraction site to hurt. Sensitivity to heat is not normal. Your symptoms are most likely coming from an adjacent tooth.
Sensitivity in a Tooth After Extraction
Sensitivity to cold – After an extraction, sensitivity to cold or air usually comes from the adjacent tooth. During extraction, sometimes the roots of an adjacent tooth are exposed, and that creates sensitivity. Mild sensitivity to cold isn’t a serious concern.
Sensitivity to heat – Persistent irritation in a tooth adjacent to one that was extracted can make it sensitive to heat. The tooth might be sensitive to cold at first, but irritation and inflammation will suffocate the pulp tissue inside the tooth until it dies. Inflammation can cause sensitivity to heat. Dying pulp tissue releases gases and heat that are confined within the tooth and become sensitive or painful.
As the tissue and nerves in the tooth die, sensitivity and achiness go away. But the infection doesn’t. The tooth will need root canal treatment, and your dentist will do the following:
- Remove the dead tissue
- Disinfect and clean the tooth
- Replace the tissue with a filler material
- Seal the tooth
- Protect it with a dental crown
Yes, schedule an appointment with your dentist for an exam and an x-ray. You’ll probably need root canal treatment, but it will save the tooth and prevent another extraction.
Baton Rouge family dentist, Ryan Perry, DDS, sponsors this post.