Root canal therapy is the best and most effective way to save an infected and damaged tooth. However, if you have a severely infected tooth and need a root canal in Newcastle, you may wonder if there are other solutions available.
What Happens If I Don’t Have a Root Canal?
A tooth infection cannot clear up without professional dental care. Avoiding this treatment can lead to much more serious problems, including:
Continued Pain
One major symptom of an infected and inflamed tooth is pain. It can cause an unpleasant toothache that is continual and throbbing or intermittent and only present when you bite down.
Without treatment, the pain will continue and can spread into your jawbone.
Dental Abscess
A dental abscess, a pus-filled pocket, can form at the base of the tooth root, spreading out into the surrounding bone. Sometimes this can have severe consequences that can potentially impact your general health.
Infection Spreads
Without treatment, the infection can spread from your tooth, allowing bacteria to enter your bloodstream. In the worst case, it could become life-threatening.
Symptoms at this stage can include facial swelling, a fever and feeling extremely unwell.
Tooth Loss
When the infection has progressed, it may be impossible to save your tooth with root canal therapy in Clarington. In this case, we may have no other choice but to remove the tooth.
What Happens If I Choose Tooth Extraction?
Removing a tooth will help clear up the infection, but if extraction is necessary, you will need to consider how to replace the tooth afterwards. Possible options include a dental bridge supported by natural teeth if they are present and strong enough, a partial denture, or a dental implant.
These solutions can prove more expensive in the long term as all dental restorations need to be replaced periodically.
Root Canal Therapy Is Safe and Effective
We understand that some people may feel apprehensive about undergoing root canal treatment, but it is an effective procedure that can save your tooth from extraction.
During treatment, the innermost part of the tooth, called the pulp, is removed. The dental pulp is a collection of soft tissues and contains the tooth nerve, connective tissues and blood vessels. These tissues extend into the tooth roots in the root canals.
The dental pulp’s purpose is to provide nutrients to a tooth, so it’s essential while a tooth is developing. However, adult teeth can survive without the dental pulp, although they are considered nonvital afterwards.
What Happens during Root Canal Therapy?
Before we begin, your tooth will be numbed, making this procedure comfortable and pain-free. Root canal therapy removes the dental pulp and all the tissues in the root canals. The root canals are carefully shaped using special files, and the tooth is disinfected and permanently sealed.
During root canal therapy, we use magnification, or when an infection is severe, microscopic dentistry to provide an optimal treatment outcome.
Treatment is completed by protecting the tooth with a dental crown. A dental crown is needed because the tooth has likely lost much of its original structure due to infection, decay, or trauma. The crown protects the tooth, restores its shape and size and allows you to bite and chew comfortably.
Advantages of Root Canal Therapy
Advantages of this treatment include:
- Preventing tooth extractions.
- Getting rid of pain and discomfort.
- Protecting and preserving your natural tooth.
A tooth that has undergone root canal therapy in Clarington can last for years or even a lifetime, making it a cost-effective long-term solution.
If you have a painful tooth, visit West Bowmanville Family Dental for a fast diagnosis and prompt treatment. The quicker you see us, the more likely we can save your tooth from extraction.