♣ T001
“But my tooth doesn’t hurt.” Don’t rely on pain to tell you when there is a problem. The first experience … that shattered this false assumption for me was in my sophomore year in dental school. Elsa was about 15 years old and her lower adult molar had rotted down to the gum line. Now at her age the pulp chamber, where the nerve lives, would have been very large and alive when this tooth first started to decay.
So feeling compassion for her I said “Oh, Elsa, didn’t that hurt.” She replied, “No, I never had any pain at all.”
The one misconception that I want all of my patients to know is this – the lack of pain does not mean all is well. Have routine examinations regularly to catch problems early when they are less costly to repair.
♣ T002
Many times a cracked tooth can be avoided. Using magnification I look for “marginal ridge cracks”;… fillings that are too large for the size of the tooth; leaking fillings; teeth that are hitting harder than their neighbors and more. I prefer to discover these signs well before the tooth begins to be bothersome.
Strengthening such a tooth usually requires an Onlay or Crown which acts to hold the cusps together and prevent a full blow split or broken tooth. Acting in time can save you from more extensive treatment, and can save your tooth.