Root canal treatment isn’t for everybody. In fact, it isn’t something we would wish upon anybody. For the most part, you can avoid it if you practice good dental hygiene and go for regular dental checkups and cleans. That being said, preventative measures are just that—preventative—and sometimes the worst can happen.
Root canal treatment. You have some nerve!
A root canal is one of those last-resort options you hope you’ll never need. However, once your tooth’s pulp is infected, you’ll need to get it out somehow. Before we crack into the benefits of a root canal, let’s first establish what a root canal is and what it involves. It’s not quite a tooth extraction but it does go part of the way.
What is root canal treatment?
Also known as endodontic therapy, root canal treatment is a procedure whereby a dentist removes infected or damaged pulp from a tooth’s root cavity. Once the dentist has removed the pulp, they will then proceed to disinfect and clean the emptied area before filling it with gutta-percha. If you read that word and thought ‘gutta-what-a?’, gutta-percha is a polymer material or form of natural rubber. It’s common for dentists to use this for root canal treatment.
If you find yourself with infected tooth pulp, the only way to treat it is to get it out. Here are some reasons why you may consider root canal treatment over tooth extraction. For more information visit this site: cnnnewsworld
It lets you keep at least part of your tooth
Unlike baby teeth, adult teeth don’t get replacements. Once an adult tooth is gone, that’s it. Yes, once the dentist removes the pulp, the tooth will be dead. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t still use its exterior.
Dental implants: when you have a tooth loose, not a screw loose.
Although tooth extraction removes the root of the problem—literally—gap-toothedness leaves a gaping hole in your mouth. You can resolve this by installing a dental implant and crown, but you may prefer to work with what you’ve already got in preference to installing a screw.
It protects your tooth’s neighbours against infection
Like any infection, pulp infection happens due to a localised accumulation of bacteria. Unfortunately, once established, the infection can spread to neighbouring teeth via bacterial transfer. Teeth aren’t humans, and teeth can’t practise social distancing from their neighbours. In fact, they are literally rooted to the ground and are bound together like a white picket fence. Translation? Neighbouring teeth are first in queue for the tooth pulp apocalypse. But you can stop the apocalypse dead in its tracks with a root canal.
Get a root canal and stop the zombie tooth apocalypse. It’s for the sake of all toothkind—and our eyeballs, TBH.
This may sound like pulp fiction, but there’s not one iota of fiction to root canal treatment. If the infected tooth is a zombie trying to infect all teeth around them, then think of the barbed broach as the vampire that sucks the life out of your tooth. It sucks, but it stops the zombie dead in its tracks.
It preserves the jawbone
Tooth extraction resolves all tooth-infected issues forever, such as infected pulp, toothaches, and cavities. That being said, it can spell trouble for your jawbone. Without teeth as its anchor, the jawbone may find itself awash in an unfiltered sea, vulnerable to bacteria and exposed to more elements than it otherwise would be. A root canal means your tooth will maintain its connection to the jawbone, preventing future skeletal complications.
“Ooof. Maybe that tooth extraction was a bad idea. Should have got a root canal while I had the chance.”
You barely feel it
When people think of dental procedures, they tend to get down in the mouth, imagining sounds of rapid drills and feelings of throbbing pain. Root canals are the closest you’re going to get to a painless dental procedure. It makes sense. Once the dentist removes the pulp, your tooth will be dead and devoid of sensation. Ergo, as your dentist cleans the area and fills it with the gutta-percha, you shouldn’t feel a thing. This is why patients consider it to be the lesser of evils when it comes to treating cavities and tooth decay.
All that being said, sometimes a tooth is so far gone that tooth extraction is the only option. Image: Primary Dental
Sound good?
Though no one is champing at the bit to undergo root canal treatment, it can be the best option. Unlike tooth extraction, root canals are virtually painless and they allow you to retain teeth—or, at least, teeth exteriors. Sometimes, tooth extraction may be necessary, but our advice would be to avoid it if a root canal would suffice just as well. If you’re battling tooth decay or cavities, give Primary Dental a call to discuss your options. They offer root canal treatment, as well as more basic services like your standard clean and checkup. Contact Primary Dental online or over the phone today to book an appointment.
