Why does filling a tooth require “rotten nerves”?

In life, many people will have cavities. Among those who have cavities, a considerable number of them need "rotten nerves". What exactly is "rotten nerves"? Why do healthy teeth need "rotten nerves"? Are there other ways to replace "rotten nerves" during the treatment of dental diseases?

01 “Rotten nerves” is a painless technology

The so-called "rotten nerve" is actually just a popular term, which is professionally called "devitalized pulp". The dental pulp is an organ that is extremely sensitive to pain. All patients who have experienced "acute pulpitis" will never forget the "unforgettable" pain - it can definitely make people restless and unable to sleep or eat. However, the pain of acute pulpitis occurs without any stimulation. If the dental pulp is treated with instruments, the severity of the pain can be imagined! Therefore, people have to take the method of first devitalizing the dental pulp, and then successfully complete the subsequent treatment.

Therefore, "rotten nerves" is essentially a "painless technology".

02 "Rotten nerves" is for "nerve extraction"

The ultimate goal of pulp devitalization is to perform pulpectomy, which is a surgery to remove the dental pulp with a special instrument for dentistry. Pulpectomy is commonly known as "pulling the nerve"! This instrument is called a pulp needle, and because its surface is covered with burrs, it is also called a "hairy needle." After the pulp needle is inserted into the pulp cavity or root canal, doctors only need to turn it gently, and the pulp will be "wrapped" on the pulp needle. After that, the doctor only needs to pull it outward, and the pulp will be pulled out by the roots. Although this set of actions seems to be completed in an instant, it is not as easy as everyone imagines. If the pulp is not devitalized in advance, it will definitely be fatal!

Since the purpose of devitalization is to be painless, anesthesia is another method that can be considered.

03 Complete removal of the pulp is the basis for successful treatment

Nerve extraction is actually to discard useless things - irrecoverable dental pulp. However, if this seemingly useless dental pulp is not properly treated, it may cause a new problem - residual pulpitis. This is also one of the reasons why pain still occurs after dental treatment.

The pulp is composed of blood vessels, nerves, and lymph. The nerves are the part that senses pain. Therefore, using nerve extraction to represent pulp removal also means solving the pain problem.

Completely removing the pulp not only means completely solving the problem of tooth pain, but also completely eliminating the problem of internal tooth infection. It is also the basis for successful root canal treatment. The irreversible inflammation of the pulp caused by infection cannot be reversed by drugs, and will eventually become a source of infection inside the tooth, and even cause infection at the root tip of the tooth. Therefore, for infected pulp, do not cherish it. It is wise to sacrifice the pawn to save the chariot - give up the pulp and keep the tooth.

Tooth filling is not just a simple repair of a tooth cavity. There is a lot of knowledge involved. Only professional treatment can achieve satisfactory results.