When is a hopeless tooth considered to be a hopeless? You would have thought the answer would be obvious. It’s in the title- hopeless. But as any dentist in Leeds will tell you, it isn’t that easy a decision to make. 50 years ago, the decision to remove a tooth was a lot easier. Now however, with modern techniques and treatments, a dentist would rather pull out all the stops, than pull out the tooth. Generally, there are two major factors to consider before rendering a tooth a lost cause- restorability and periodontal support. Modern advances in treatments make most teeth restorable. Most endodontic techniques can restore a damaged or decayed tooth. By using root canal treatment, the affected tooth can be can be saved by the removal of the roots, dead tissue and nerves and then having the hole cleaned and filled, before deciding whether to cap the tooth. This will restore function. But what runs deeper at this point is just how much damage has been caused to the surrounding area by the damage or the decay to the tooth. Periodontic diagnosis of the area around the tooth relies on how advanced the disease has become. It will rely on the pocket depth between the tooth and gum, the decay in the bone supporting the tooth, the level of mobility in the tooth and the crown to root ratio. And before rendering the tooth hopeless, there are two final factors to consider before the tooth is condemned. The rate of progression of periodontal disease and the age of the patient- the older the patient, the more likely the tooth will be removed.
Tags: damaged tooth, decayed tooth, endodontics
