How to Improve Your Smile Using Root Canal Therapy

[Root canal therapy is an effective treatment that can save and repair infected teeth. Learn more about root canal therapy and what to expect from it.]

Your pearly whites can almost withstand anything, but they aren’t indestructible. Many Americans can attest to this fact since millions seek dental treatment each year because of a dental problem. At times, you might be in our dentist’s office and hear that you need root canal therapy.

Due to misinformation, root canal therapy has been “demonized” as something so “horrific” and most people would instead not go down this road. The good news is that this is a myth and root canal therapy performed by our dentist in Edmonton is painless and even much easier than you might have imagined.

Root canal therapy is one of the easiest ways of saving your natural teeth even when you have an infection. To completely counteract the misunderstanding that surrounds root canal therapy, you need to know more about the procedure.

But first, let us see what root canal therapy is not.

Root Canal Therapy Myths

Here are some of the root canal myths and misinformation:

• The only time you need a root canal is when you have tooth pain. There are instances when teeth have died and do not cause any more pain. Root canal therapy aids in preventing infections that may occur.
• Root canal therapy is excruciating. On the contrary, the root canal is done to alleviate pain and not cause it. Modern technology has enabled the process of root canal therapy to be painless and feels similar to getting a filling.
• Root canals can cause disease. This is one of the most common myths that do not even have any scientific proof. Root canals instead save you from an infection that can affect your overall health.
• Root canal benefits are temporary. Root canal therapy, when done, its effects are long-lasting and preserves the tooth indefinitely. A great crown and good oral habits will ensure that the tooth lasts a lifetime.
• You can get a tooth extraction as an excellent alternative to root canal therapy. This isn’t true since extractions are very traumatic and can introduce bacteria into your bloodstream. Regardless of technology, there isn’t a perfect replacement for natural teeth. Root canal therapy saves your natural teeth.

Root Canal Therapy 101

Root canal therapy is an endodontic treatment which removes bacteria from an infected root canal and therefore saving your tooth and prevents reinfection. In a nutshell, the infected pulp and nerve are removed and then inside of the tooth is cleaned, disinfected, filled and then sealed.

If the infection is not taken care of, it will lead to teeth extraction and in some cases, gum infection.

The root canal is the cavity within your tooth where you will find the pulp, which is the soft part of the root canal. The nerves are situated in the root canal.

Tooth sensitivity arises because of the nerves. The nerves primary function after the teeth have emerged, is to elicit the sensation of hot or cold. When the nerves are removed together with the pulp, it will not affect the daily functioning of your teeth.

What Causes Damages to the Pulp and Nerves?

The pulp and the nerve can become inflamed, irritated and infected because of a crack on the tooth, large fillings, and repeated dental procedures.

Is It Necessary to Remove the Pulp?

When your pulp is damaged, it typically breaks down and gives bacteria the chance to multiply in the pulp chamber. The accumulation of debris and bacteria can cause an infection (abscess). An abscess (pus-filled region) forms after the infection spread past the ends of the roots of your teeth.

Other than an abscess, a root canal infection can cause an embed asset override which means:

• You can have a swelling that can spread to the neck, face and head.
• You can have drainage problems which occur through holes on the side of the teeth and can drain into the gums, causing gum infection or at times through the cheek, which flows into the skin.
• Bone loss occurs around the root.

How Do You Know If You Need a Root Canal?

Root canals are needed if you are experiencing the following symptoms:

• Pimples on the gums
• Tender or swollen gums
• Cracked teeth
• Acute pain while biting or chewing.
• Continuous sensitivity to hot or cold

Root canal treatments are highly effective, and the effects are long-lasting. At Great Smile Family Dental, you are guaranteed of excellent endodontic treatment.