Last week I told the story of my hygienist’s tooth.  To recap, she got a small cavity in her molar when she was twelve, then it was replaced fifteen years later. This same tooth is also subjected to the forces of  nighttime grinding...

Ten more years go by (Barb is now forty-something), and now the molar is sensitive to cold drinks and biting.  Her dentist (that’s me) checks the tooth and recommends a conservative onlay to replace the filling and help hold the “somewhat cracked” tooth together. The hope is to avoid a full crown--to limit the trauma to the nerve deep within the tooth, by grinding less on the tooth.  The onlay is completed and her tooth feels better for a few years, but then becomes sensitive to hot, cold and biting. The frequency of the “zings” increases over several months, and Barbara hopes it will just go away.  She tries sensitivity toothpaste, and it isn’t much help.  She mostly chews on the other side, until she decides that she has had enough of the discomfort.  I tell her that she should go see Dr. Martin for an evaluation of the nerve, and he tells her that the nerve in the tooth has been traumatized over the years by multiple dental procedures and the forces of clenching and grinding, and it is now so badly inflamed that it is causing the discomfort.  The nerve in the tooth won’t heal, and will need to be removed—she needs a root canal.

The root canal is completed and Barbara feels great!  She can chew on both sides of her mouth now, and drink hot and cold beverages without worrying.  She’s not out of the woods, though.  Because she was a grinder for so many years before getting a night guard, she may have some undetected fractures in her tooth, down into the root.  These could cause the tooth to split, requiring an extraction then an implant.  She is keeping her fingers crossed and being careful to wear her night guard regularly.

The moral of the story: Keep your teeth plaque and decay free by practicing good homecare, and help your children do the same.  Protect your teeth from unnecessary forces like clenching, grinding and trauma by wearing a night guard if you need one and a sports guard when participating in contact sports.  See your dentist regularly for an exam to detect problems early, and avoid bigger ones. 

Keep smiling!

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Caron Nelson Glickman, DDS has been helping her patients achieve and maintain healthy smiles in Duvall since 1992.

          For more information, contact 425-788-1551.

          Caron Nelson Glickman,DDS
          26425 NE Allen Street, #102 • Duvall
          425-788-1551 • caronnelson@comcast.net
          www.great-smile.com