Hello, I have noticed feeling pain when I touch the bottom of my tooth, where the gum and base of the tooth meet.  If I touch the gum or the actual tooth where it first comes out of gum its highly unpleasant, but the tooth is even more so I almost want to jump out of my skin when I touch the outside of the tooth with my nail.   Also the gum surrounding that particular tooth is white.   What can this be?   I am scared lifeless of a root canal ( even though i have never had one), please help!

ANSWER:

It sounds like you have some exposed tooth root which can be very sensitive to touch and to cold. The white around the gum is probably from over aggressive brushing. You probably do not need a root canal, but you should go see a periodontist as they may be able to apply some medicine to the area to make it less sensitive or may even be able to cover the exposed part of the root with new gum tissue which will solve the sensitivity you are having. For now try to avoid acidic foods and drinks in your diet as the will make the tooth more sensitive. I can try to find you a periodontist in NYC or Brooklyn If you like.

Hope this helps,
Nick DeTure DMD
askadentist.com

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