About Root Canal Treatment:
Usually, root canals are recommended or needed when there is an infection deep within the tooth. The pulp inside the tooth can become infected with bacteria because of an injury or a severe, untreated cavity.
Without treatment, the infection may progress to cause significant pain or cause the formation of an abscess underneath the tooth, which affects the strength and function of the tooth.
Root canal treatment can help maintain the teeth’ function so that patients may continue to chew effectively using normal biting force. It also helps to keep the tooth’s natural aesthetic appearance, in contrast to alternative options, such as dental implants.
Additionally, root canal treatment can help protect other teeth from excessive strain and possible damage. Strains to teeth may occur if only one side of the mouth is used when chewing food.
What are the benefits of root canal treatment over extraction?
If pulp inflammation or infection is left untreated, it can eventually cause pain, swelling and loss of the supporting bone. Root canal treatment saves teeth that would otherwise have been extracted. While extraction may be a quicker and cheaper option, it often leads to subsequent problems.
An analogy to consider
Imagine your teeth as books neatly arranged on a bookshelf. Taking one out will result in the drifting or tilting of surrounding teeth into the empty space, destabilising the whole dental arch, neighbouring teeth and occlusion of the individual.
If your dentist believes the tooth is a strategic and useful one, it certainly is worth the time and expense required for root canal treatment to save that tooth.
How we manage root canal treatment at DP Dental
Many misconceptions surround various dental treatments, and at DP Dental, we are here to explain and present you with facts. If you wish to clear some of the doubts you had about root canal treatments, read our recent blog post where we discuss five confusing myths surrounding root canal treatments.
