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Suddenly experiencing dental pain or discomfort when you eat and drink something could mean the root of your tooth has been exposed. Thankfully, your Tampa family dentist can treat this problem by restoring your gum line. Read to learn more about exposed root and how to treat this condition:
How a Tooth Root Can be Exposed
Your tooth crown does not make up your entire tooth. The rest of your tooth sets below your gumline and anchors your tooth to your jawbone. Although strong enamel covers the exposed portion of your tooth, a connective tissue covers the root. This tissue can decay or wear down quickly because of gum line recession, exposing the root to brushing. When the connective tissue is worn away, you can experience sensitivity to hot and cold.
An exposed root usually happens due to gum disease or receding gums. However, other factors also contribute to this. Gum disease develops when bacteria get into the space between your gums and teeth and cause infection. Eventually, this infection can cause the bone around your teeth to recede, exposing the roots when not treated. Also, receding gums can be due to poor oral health habits, natural aging, or genetic predisposition. Other factors that can cause the root of your tooth to be exposed include tobacco use, traumatic mouth injury, bruxism, and aggressive brushing.
How to Know You Have an Exposed Tooth Root
The symptoms you can experience with an exposed tooth root can vary, and sometimes, this condition may not present symptoms. Often, you will experience increased tooth sensitivity when exposed to sour, cold, hot, or sweet beverages and food. Also, you may have a longer-looking tooth due to gum line recession. Other symptoms include sore or tender gums that tend to bleed whenever you brush your teeth, pain and swelling, as well as tooth discoloration.
How to Treat an Exposed Tooth Root
Maintaining good oral hygiene can help prevent a tooth root from being exposed. However, an exposed root needs to be covered back up. Your dentist may perform a gum graft, so tissue can be placed between your tooth and gums. This will restore the gum line after the completion of the healing process.
Also, an exposed tooth can be treated through a donor source. This works by placing donor collagen material to stabilize the receding gum. This is a less invasive procedure than using gum tissue.
