| Dentinal
tubules follow a course at right angle from the pulpal surface.
Within this tubules are contained the Odontoblastic
processes. Enervation's of the tooth starts actually at Dentin.
How this dentin is enervated can be explained through some pain
transmission theories in conjunction with these dentinal tubules.
There are actually three theories of pain transmission through dentin,
and one of these, the Hydrodynamic Theory is the moat popular. This theory
states that stimuli such as cold, heat, and pressure causes fluid movement
inside the dentinal tubules, and this fluid movement disturbs the nerve
endings, eliciting pain. Nerve endings of the pulp terminate at the dentinal
tubules, and these nerve endings is different from the nerve endings found
in other parts of the body, say the skin in that these don't have specific
receptors for specific stimuli. |
It is a unique feature of tooth
receptors to recognize only as pain whatever stimuli it receives, may it
be heat, cold, or pressure.
Now, with these knowledge
in hand, imagine how a dental caries will do to your tooth, and how much
pain will it cause to you.
Good news though, if your toothache is caused only
by some enamel defects, aside from caries. You are only feeling hyperemia,
which is fortunately reversible. Pain caused by large caries usually involves
the pulp, and either abscess or even necrosis of the pulp can be seen.
If these cases happens, two procedures are at hand, one which is more radical
is extraction of the involve tooth, and the other one which is more conservative,
ideal, but may consume a couple of visits to the Dentist is, Root
Canal Treatment.
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