Root Canal Treatment

Having problems with your root canal is no laughing matter.ﾠ In fact, it can be one of the most painful dental conditions and resulting surgeries known to humankind.ﾠ No pain is quite as intense and persistent as a root canal infection.ﾠ Luckily it's a rare condition but if you are beginning to have symptoms of soreness, discomfort, and sensitivity while eating it could be an indication that you have it.

It's somewhat surprising to most people that a tooth can become infected.ﾠ The thing is, teeth are living organs just like any other part of your body, contrary to the immutable objects they appear to be.ﾠ Deep inside the tooth is a nerve center of a blood rich pulp material that relays sensations of heat, cold, and pressure to the nervous system.ﾠ The connection between the pulp and the gums is made via the root canal.ﾠ Each tooth has at least one functioning root canal.

An infection of the root canal can occur through a fracture in the tooth or just through poor oral hygiene.ﾠ Once infected, there is no real way to cure it.ﾠ The infection will spread to the gums, leading to tooth and gum decay.ﾠ Eventually the tooth will fall out, leaving behind a gap that will cause further problems with oral hygiene, speech, eating, and smiling.

A root canal treatment attempts to clear the tooth of infectious tissue.ﾠ The tooth will still die (that part is unpreventable) but the infection won't spread to the gums.ﾠ A drill is used to put a hole in the top of the tooth, and then smaller drill bits are used to bore out the thinner canals.ﾠ Once all infected material has been removed, the tooth is injected with inert filler and capped off.ﾠ Sometimes a crown is necessary to preserve the strength of the hollowed out tooth.

The problem with root canal treatment is that sometimes the tooth can become re-infected anyway if some tissue was left behind.ﾠ This would require remedial surgery to correct the problem again.ﾠ That's why some dentists recommend that you remove the tooth to begin with.ﾠ While that seems like an attractive option because it deals with the infection directly, stop to think about the costs that could begin accumulating.ﾠ If you lose a tooth, you'll need to fill the gap with a partial denture or dental implant.ﾠ That can be extremely costly in the long run.ﾠ It makes more sense to keep the original tooth in your mouth.

If you're in the hands of a skilled dental surgeon, the likelihood of re-infection and extreme pain is significantly diminished.ﾠ That's why you should always investigate the patient history and satisfaction of a surgeon before you go for a root canal.

Consult your dentist today for more information about root canal treatment.ﾠ It's a solid alternative to losing your teeth to infection.