Are you trying to cope with the pain of an exposed or damaged nerve in a tooth? Then you’re probably wondering how long this pain will last before the nerve dies; at least you’ll know when to expect relief.
Unfortunately, the short answer is: Every situation is different. Depending on the cause it can vary from weeks to months.
To help you understand more and determine your plan of action, let’s explore.
What Causes a Tooth Nerve to Die?
Your teeth are made mainly of three parts:
- Enamel
- Dentin
- Pulp
The pulp is where blood vessels and the nerves are housed. It’s necessary to protect these parts because several things can cause damage to them and even let them die:
- When bacteria reach the pulp, it attacks the nerve. Over time, if not treated, the nerve can eventually die.
- When there’s bacteria your tooth will retaliate with an inflammatory response in the form of white blood cells. All of this increases the pressure inside the tooth and can get so intense that the nerve suffocates & dies.
This scenario can occur after any of the following:
- Extreme tooth decay that creates a cavity through which bacteria enters.
- Physical trauma to the tooth that affects blood flow or breaks the tooth.
- After a tooth extraction, a nerve can be left exposed.
- Tooth grinding that damages the exterior of the tooth.
How Long Will it Take?
There’s no saying how long the deterioration will take as it depends on how much bacteria entered and how you treat the problem. You or the dentist can fight off the infection with medicine or herbal treatments.
However, if you don’t get the problem under control and fixed it will lead to the nerve dying. During this time, you’re bound to experience a lot of pain.
Dying Nerve Symptoms and Treatment
The most common sign of a dying tooth nerve is pain. This is because of the pressure inside the pulp, the infection and many other nerve endings that will become irritated by the problem. Therefore, you may experience swelling in the gums around the tooth.
During this time you can use painkillers to make it easier to bare.
If the nerve is completely dead you may have less pain, but it’s important to treat the infection and make sure other parts of your gums or jaw aren’t affected.
Without a live nerve, your tooth will eventually change color. This is often referred to as a dead tooth.
Eventually, the tooth will fall out, but it’s risky to wait for this to happen as you may put other parts of your mouth at risk of infection.
The most common treatments for both dead and dying teeth are:
- Complete extraction of the tooth: This is a more cost-effective option.
- Doing a root canal: This is more expensive but you’ll still have the use of the tooth afterward.
Can You Stop the Nerve from Dying?
You determine what is possible by how quick you respond to the problem. In mild cases, if you can ensure the infection is removed and the cavity repaired you may not experience any further problems.
If you ignore the problem, however, it will deteriorate and eventually, there will be nothing left but to extract the tooth or do a root canal as mentioned above.
We don’t have control over all situations and even a small accident can cause a tooth nerve to start dying. But if we act the moment we suspect a problem, we can save ourselves some pain and even save a tooth. It may be time you visit the dentist.
Author: Peter Mayhew
Peter is a dental hygienist in the city of Chicago, IL. In his free time he likes to write blogs and product reviews on anything dental health related.
So if you get a root canal, your tooth will fall out in a couple of years?
The dentist will assess the damage done to your tooth & let you know whether you tooth will hold up or if you need to get it removed. They will not perform a root canal & give you a crown on a tooth that will fall out within months.
It’s more painful if you need it pulled after a root canal
Many dentists will do a root canal in a tooth just to make the larger amount of money! Make sure you get several recommendations for any dentist you go to.
So true!
So true! Just went to one dentist and was told I need a root canal- went to another dentist who said it was not necessary.
I had a very strong healthy front top tooth #9 chipped at the bottom.The dentist shaved the tooth all the way down to the gumline and prepped it for a crown.After two weeks the crown fell off and I swallowed the crown while drinking tea.I refused to go back to that dentist and have done nothing concerning this prepped tooth.It has been about 3 months now.The tooth has never had any pain or sensitivity at all.When I tap on the tooth I can feel the tapping thats it.The top tooth next to that tooth I feel alot of sensitivity all the time.How can I defintely know and tell if this tooth is dying or a little dead?If it is dying can I proceed and get the prepped tooth crowned without a root canal since it is not totally all dead and possibly only half dead since I can still feel when the tooth is being tapped or is root canal the best option if the tooth is slightly or half dead?What are my options to save this tooth?
I have a hole in my back top left tooth been hurting for a week and 4 days now! Can’t really afford to go to the dentist so I’ve been bearing this pain from this nerve! Any suggestions to stop the pain? I’ve used Red Cross toothache, salt water, orajel mouth rinse, goody powder it all works for like and hour then the pain returns
As a hygienist, it sounds like you’ve got a nice-sized cavity considering you already see the hole. It may possibly be a root canal, but what is certain is the pain won’t go away until it is treated. If not, the problem will only get worse, and if it’s not a root canal yet, waiting will turn it into one- and that’s a lot more costly than a filling.
Use Panadol and nurofen at the same time and try bonjela while it’s meant for babies it’s super numbing and works a treat if you use a big dollop and get right around the gum
I had dental trauma almost 2 weeks ago that caused mainly numbness so I got x-ray-ed by my dentist. It that showed my tooth hadn’t moved / no obvious nerve trauma, however while the numbness is subsiding, the tooth as a whole still feels odd (can’t bite into anything without some discomfort). Is it common for dental discomfort of this sort to last 2 weeks ?
recently a door hit my face and specifically one of my teeth and it’s not moving however when I bite or touch it it feels weird