We are pleased to serve the community of Slidell, LA. Our doors are always open to welcome new patients who areready to receive the best in dental care.
Find Us:
Patient Library
Find helpful information in our digital library.
Archive:
- 2020
- 2019
- 2018
- 2017
- 2016
- 2015
Tags
- celebrity smiles (63)
- oral health (24)
- dental hygiene (1)
- tooth contouring (1)
- cosmetic dentistry (10)
- dental injury (7)
- mouthguards (3)
- veneers (4)
- crowns (5)
- mouthguard (2)
- dental injuries (1)
- dentures (2)
- oral hygiene (25)
- pediatric care (1)
- teeth whitening (5)
- tooth bleaching (1)
- Toothache (4)
- nutrition (6)
- dental erosion (1)
- chipped teeth (1)
- sedation dentistry (1)
- oral sedation (1)
- athletic mouthguards (1)
- Dental Implants (14)
- orthodontics (5)
- braces (9)
- laser dentistry (2)
- gum disease (17)
- wisdom teeth (6)
- periodontal disease (4)
- root canal (5)
- Root Canals (2)
- dental sealants (1)
- bone grafting (2)
- pediatric dentistry (10)
- tooth decay (9)
- sealants (1)
- tooth staining (1)
- bad breath (1)
- bonding (1)
- Fillings (1)
- abscessed tooth (1)
- partial denture (1)
- dental emergency (1)
- anesthesia (1)
- periodontal (gum) disease (1)
- restorative dentistry (3)
- geographic tongue (1)
- teeth wear (1)
- air abrasion (1)
- burning mouth syndrome (1)
- tooth grinding (1)
- dental crowns (1)
- orthodontic treatment (10)
- bacteria (1)
- porcelain veneers (6)
- preventative dentistry (1)
- tooth pain (4)
- pregnancy (4)
- tmj disorders (1)
- sinus surgery (1)
- teething (2)
- Oral Cancer (3)
- cancer treatment (1)
- bone loss (1)
- teeth grinding (2)
- bruxism (1)
- blood pressure medications (1)
- medicine (1)
- Dental Extractions (1)
- Damaged Teeth (1)
- thumb sucking (1)
- smile makeover (2)
- osteoporosis (2)
- smoking (2)
- gum recession (2)
- pulp capping (1)
- root canal treatment (3)
- chipped tooth (2)
- Filling (1)
- dental implant (2)
- Oral Cancer Screening (1)
- dental exam (1)
- fluoride (1)
- composite resin (1)
- Oral Care (1)
- dental care (1)
- loose tooth (1)
- retainers (1)
Categories:
My Blog
Posts for tag: pulp capping
There’s one sure thing about tooth decay: you can’t ignore it. In fact, the best outcomes result from finding it early and treating it before it enters the pulp in the center of the tooth, often a filling or similar treatment.
If it does advance to the pulp, you may need a root canal treatment to save the tooth. This is a moderately invasive procedure where we access the pulp and root canals, tiny passageways leading to the root and supporting bone. We then remove all the diseased tissue and fill the empty pulp chamber and root canals with a special filling. Later we’ll crown the tooth for added protection against future infection or fracture of the tooth.
But there’s also another less-invasive method than a root canal called pulp capping. It’s only appropriate to use, however, if the pulp has become exposed or almost exposed by decay, but hasn’t yet shown signs of disease.
Pulp capping can be either direct or indirect. We use direct pulp capping if the healthy pulp has been exposed by the disease process. We first isolate the tooth from the rest of the mouth to prevent contamination and then proceed to remove all of the tooth’s decayed dentin structure. We then apply a biocompatible material directly over the pulp to protect it from further decay and to facilitate healing. We then restore the tooth, usually with a filling, to its proper function and life-like appearance.
When the pulp is threatened by decay but not yet exposed, we may then use the indirect method. In this approach we first remove most of the decayed dentin, but leave a small amount next to the pulp to keep it covered. We then treat this remaining dentin with a material to help it heal and re-mineralize, followed by a temporary filling of the tooth. A few months later we’ll remove this filling and inspect the treated dentin. If it has regenerated sufficiently, we remove any remaining decay and permanently restore the tooth.
As we said, pulp capping is only used with patients with deep decay whose pulp tissue is healthy. But when we can use it we can avoid some of the permanent alterations that often come with a root canal treatment and still save the tooth.
If you would like more information on treatments for tooth decay, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Pulp Capping: A Procedure that May Save a Decayed Tooth.”