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The Battleground At the Root of An Infected Tooth

Posted by: Dr. Sirakian     Categories: Uncategorized

When a tooth is so badly infected that the bacteria make their way through the entire tooth and reach the gums beneath, the result is a painful infection at the base of the tooth (known as a periapical lesion). In addition to the general inflammatory pain at the site of infection, any pressure applied on the tooth would result in extreme pain. But what exactly is happening at the site of infection on a microscopic level?

When the bacteria first break through the bottom of the tooth and reach the gums, the body is signaled to send a large number of defensive cells (neutrophils) to the site of the infection. The body’s main objective is to contain the infection and prevent it from spreading. The spread of infection is halted in three ways:

  • Degranulation – The neutrophils release a substance that contains enzymes that attack the bacteria.
  • Extracellular traps – The neutrophils release some of their DNA strands to form nets that capture and entangle the invading bacteria.
  • Phagocytosis – Finally, the neutrophils ‘eat’ the bacteria, encasing them within their own cellular walls in order to destroy the bacteria.

After the battle is over, there’s a large mass of dead cells, dead bacteria, enzymes, and neutrophil DNA at the site of infection. To the naked eye, this may look like pus or an abscess. The enzymes in the pus irritate the surrounding tissue, leading to what dentists call “acute apical periodontitis”.

All of this can be avoided with regular visits to the dentist, ensuring that the tooth doesn’t even reach this level of infection. Be sure to book an appointment with your dentist before it’s too late.

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Beware of Brushing?

Too much brushing can’t hurt, right? Not exactly. The American Dental Association recommends that everyone brushes their teeth at least twice per day. If you’re especially keen about taking perfect care of your teeth, maybe you brush after meals too—be warned: there is a right way to do this. Researchers have discovered that brushing too […]

Jan
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What Challenges Do Adults With Braces Face?

It used to be pretty rare for anyone other than teenagers to have braces, but in today’s society, everyone with a crooked tooth or an overbite has the option to get it corrected with adult braces. Adults have a wider array of orthodontic appliances available to them that make the process more streamlined and less […]

Dec
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Why Do Some Healthy Foods Cause Tooth Decay?

According to a BBC article, one British mother was very unhappy when her five-year-old son needed a tooth pulled. Like many parents, she rarely gave her son soda or fruit juice and couldn’t understand how his teeth had gotten so bad. After asking her dentist, it turned out that the culprit was actually a “healthy” […]

Nov
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Chew on This: Smaller Bites for Optimal Health

Although our parents always told us to take small bites and to take our time chewing food, we often forget about this sound advice as we wolf down meals in a our fast paced lives. Hopefully, understanding the damage that this may cause can remind us to be more mindful during our next meal. Lacerations […]

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The Steps to Becoming a Dentist

If you’ve ever thought that a career in dentistry might be right for you, then read this! To become a dentist, you have to be willing to complete multiple years of school and be patient enough to work with people. How it starts: Complete a bachelors degree Completing a bachelor’s degree is step one in […]

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