Re: Recent bad dental experience

On Jul 22, 8:36 am, mosh...@xxxxxxx wrote:
Last month an amalgum filling fell out of one of my molars and I saw
a dentist about having it replaced. The dentist indicated that too
much of the tooth was missing and he advised me to have a root canal
performed. He said this was preferable to having the tooth extracted,
in his opinion.
What do folks here make of this?

I pray scientists and engineers are advancing our knowledge of
dentistry.
Search keywords "pulp vitality test" and find this article summarized
here:
Endodontology Vol. 15, 2003
Recent advances in pulp vitality testing by Samraj RV IndiraR
Srinivasan MR KumarA
Abstract: Pulp vitality test is crucial in monitoring the state of
health of dental pulp, Traditional pulp testing metnods depend on
innervation; newer pulp testing devices detect supply of the pulp,
through light absorption and reflection, more accurate and non-
invasive.
Introduction: Assessment of pulp vitality is a crucial diagnostic
procedure. Current routine methods rely on stimulation of nerve fibers
giving no direct indication of blood flow in the pulp. These include
thermal stimulation, electrical or direct dentine stimulation. These
testing methods have the potential to produce unpleasant sensation and
innacurate results. Recent studies show blood circulation is a more
accurate determinant in assessing pulp vitality; it provides an
objective differentiation between necrotic and vital pulp tissue. This
article highlights tests relying on the passage of light through the
tooth to detect pulp vitality with greater objectivity. They rely
either on the detection of changes in the light absorption as it
passed throught the tooth, as in photoplethysmography, pulse oximetry
and dual wavelength spectrophotometry or the shift in light frequency
as it is reflected back from a tooth, as in laser Doppler
flowmetry.The body of the article describes the finer working of thses
analytical tests.
Conclusion: The unreliability of testing tooth nerve response is well
documented. When nervous sensations are inhibited in the tooth, for
example following trauma, toot transplantation or general anesthesia,
conventional tests are of little value. However, a method based on
vascular response of the pulp need not be restricted under such
conditions. Recording pulpal blood flow would be an objective
assessment of the statua of the pulpal blood circulation, a true
indicator of pulp vitality. Optical devices that exploit the various
absorbance properties of different substances within the dental pulp
are being studied to determine pulsation and blood volume. They offer
the advantages of being objective, non-invasive and atraumatic testing
modalities resulting in greater patient acceptance and co-operation.
Currently the significance and reliability of these methods are being
studied. It is hoped that newer technology will enable a more thorough
study of the pulpal vasculature and define its role in pulp vitality
testing.

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Relevant Pages

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  • Endodontology Vol. 15, 2003
    ... Recent advances in pulp vitality testing by Samraj RV IndiraR ... giving no direct indication of blood flow in the pulp. ... tooth to detect pulp vitality with greater objectivity. ... Search on keywords "pulp vitality test" to find this scholarly journal ...
    (sci.med.dentistry)
  • Endodontology Vol. 15, 2003
    ... Recent advances in pulp vitality testing by Samraj RV IndiraR ... giving no direct indication of blood flow in the pulp. ... tooth to detect pulp vitality with greater objectivity. ... Search on keywords "pulp vitality test" to find this scholarly journal ...
    (sci.med.dentistry)
  • Endodontology Vol. 15, 2003
    ... Recent advances in pulp vitality testing by Samraj RV IndiraR ... giving no direct indication of blood flow in the pulp. ... tooth to detect pulp vitality with greater objectivity. ...
    (sci.med.dentistry)