[Saving Teeth] Treatment for a Tooth with Only the Root Left

Hello.

I am Dr. Jeon Jun-hee, a specialist in conservative dentistry, working hard as 치아지킴희 in Sinchon.^^

If you are reading this post,

I suspect

you were told something like,

“Your cavity is too severe, so the tooth may need to be extracted.”

Through the case of a man in his 30s introduced today,

I hope you can also feel the joy and reward of using your natural tooth once more.

20250411

The basics of dental diagnosis,

a panoramic X-ray.

Are there still people at the dentist who say,

“I don’t want to take an X-ray”?

Only by checking areas that cannot be seen with the naked eye

can we make an accurate diagnosis

and provide treatment that is exactly right for the patient.

20250411

The crown part of the tooth looks black.

That is because the tooth has been decayed away by cavities

and is hollow.

20250411

But visually,

the tooth still looks like it is intact and in good condition, doesn’t it?

In fact, that is not the case.

Cavities

always progress by drilling a small hole into the tooth

and eating away from the inside.

The decayed tooth

is left with only a thin shell,

and then one day, while eating, a hole suddenly appears.

So,

if there is a hole in the tooth, you should consider it a very serious situation.

You need to go to the dentist as soon as possible.

20250411

The cavity is being removed.

It hasn’t even been completely removed yet,

and there is not a single healthy area left except for one side.

Still, that is okay.

Because the root is long enough,

we slightly lift the gum

and borrow the crown from the root.

20250425

Because the nerve is already inflamed due to the cavity,

after root canal treatment,

we place a support in the root (= post and resin core)

and prepare to place a crown.

20250507

The crown has been completed.

This will probably be the last treatment we can provide for that tooth.

To prevent new cavities from developing under the crown,

please pay close attention to oral hygiene,

and don’t forget to visit the dentist regularly for scaling.^^

I’ll end today’s post here.