Dental Treatment Options For Taurodontism With Complications

Taurodontism is a dental growth abnormality where the interior pulp chamber of a molar tooth is oversized and forces its way further down the root. The root therefore becomes fused since there isn't adequate space between root segments for normal separation. Taurodontism is commonly associated with genetic conditions or other dental abnormalities such as amelogenesis imperfect or tricho-dento-osseous syndrome.

Dental treatments may become necessary if the tooth has decay or suffered trauma that has damaged the root canal. The treatment options are a bit different than with a normal tooth, but your dentist will be able to advise which treatment is best for your situation.

Specialized Root Canal Therapy

Root canal procedures are the gold standard when dealing with a damaged or infected root canal in order to save the tooth. A typical root canal procedure is fairly straightforward: dentist opens tooth, scrapes out pulp material, fills tooth with bio-cement, and then covers everything closed with an artificial dental crown.

Taurodontism makes a root canal procedure a bit more difficult to perform. The excess pulp room might seem like a good thing, but the dentist will need to go lower into the tooth to access the full chamber. And the chamber is more vulnerable to piercing or tearing since it is already stretched to its limits within the tooth.

Your dentist will still open the tooth and scrape out the root canal. But the tools are more specialized and the procedure will likely take longer in the chair than a standard root canal. It's vitally important for the dentist to use caution to clean out the chamber without compromising its structural integrity.

Extraction and Dental Replacement

A root canal isn't always an option or enough to save the tooth. A pulp chamber that has already become too damaged or recurring infections might make your dentist recommend extraction. The extraction should be followed close after with a dental replacement so that you don't lose any chewing abilities and so that the nearby teeth don't shift.

If your budget allows and your dentist recommends, dental implants are a great dental replacement option. The tooth will look and feel very natural but the selling point is the metal root that is fitted into your jawbone and stabilized with healed bone. This root will stimulate the bone and soft tissue and keep the area healthy.

Continued bone health is particularly important if you have other teeth with taurodontism in the area. Bone and tissue damage would make those other teeth more vulnerable to damage as well, and might force you through the entire treatment process again with another tooth.

To learn more, contact a dentist like Rick Chavez DDS.