For two days my upper tooth 6 was slightly sensitive to hot and cold. I rushed to the emergency dentist so there would be no surprises over the weekend, and it was a good thing I went, because caries had developed beneath the filling and had already reached the pulp. Part of the filling and the caries were removed (it hurt a little). The tooth is now temporarily closed, my appointment with my dentist is in 20 days, and I have lots of questions.
Does caries reaching the pulp mean that the pulp will have to be devitalized, removed and the root canal filled? Apparently there is a technique of laser pulpotomy combined with MTA (Mineral Trioxide Aggregate), and I would like to know whether this is also used in adults and whether you perhaps use this technique at your practice. Above all, I wonder whether waiting 20 days reduces the chances of successful treatment.
It is very important to me to keep the tooth in the best possible condition.
Dentist Tomaž Rotar answers:
Dear Sir/Madam!
Based on what you have written, I believe that direct pulp capping was performed, which means that the site where the pulp was exposed was covered with an agent (Calksyl...) that causes minimal necrosis of the pulp tissue and subsequent deposition of tertiary dentin, which will once again separate the inside and outside of the pulp chamber. In adults, the described procedure, or the pulpotomy that most often follows it and about which you are asking, is generally not used because the procedures are most often unsuccessful. We can certainly attempt the procedure; in any case, if it fails, we can continue with vital or mortal extirpation (complete removal) of the dental pulp. If I may assume that direct pulp capping has already been performed, then a delay of three weeks until further treatment (if it is needed at all) is not problematic.
Have a nice day!