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Root canal: it’s one of the most dreaded phrases in the English language. But root canal therapy is an essential dental treatment that can help you avoid tooth loss. Avoiding a needed root canal brings more pain and suffering. Moving forward with root canal therapy as recommended by your dentist helps keep your mouth healthy and even save your teeth. The negative associations with root canal therapy are misconceptions: it’s not as painful or scary as many of us believe.
What Is Root Canal Therapy?
When the soft tissue beneath your tooth’s hard surface becomes infected, your dentist may need to remove the pulp to save the tooth. During root canal therapy, your dentist disinfects the area and removes the infected pulp. Then he cleans the space (known as the root canal) and fills it with a rubber-like substance called gutta-percha. Finally, your dentist covers the affected area with a filling or crown to preserve your smile and prevent reinfection. We usually recommend a root canal when:
- Your tooth is infected.
- Decay is so bad a traditional filling can’t treat it.
- Your tooth is cracked or broken, leading to infection or inflammation.
What Happens If I Avoid a Needed Root Canal?
When it comes to oral health, putting off needed treatment almost always makes things worse. Tooth pain rarely goes away on its own, and treatment becomes more complicated and costly the longer you wait. Here’s a look at some of the consequences of putting off a needed root canal:
- Tooth decay becomes even more painful as time goes on and may spread to other teeth.
- Infection is the most common reason your dentist recommends a root canal. An oral infection can spread to other parts of your mouth if untreated.
- Oral infections can spread to other parts of your face or body and cause illness or even death in extreme cases.
- If you delay treatment too long, you’ll likely lose one or more teeth.
- The financial cost of delaying treatment is usually significant. As a general rule, the earlier we tackle a dental problem, the less expensive it is to fix.
What Are The Benefits of Root Canal Therapy?
- Root canal treatment helps keep your tooth healthy.
- Tackling oral infection with root canal therapy can help you preserve your natural teeth in the long term
- A root canal eliminates pain and helps return the joy to eating your favorite foods.
Talk With Your Family Dentist About Dental Pain and Root Canal Therapy
Root canals get a bad rap. But they’re an essential tool your dentist uses to help you preserve your teeth and eliminate pain. Our patients almost always tell us their root canal isn’t nearly as bad as they thought. New dental techniques make root canal therapy far less painful and time-consuming than in the past. We can usually complete your root canal in one or two visits, and most patients can return to work after the treatment.
If you need root canal therapy, it’s essential to choose an experienced dentist who understands the procedure. At Hall Family Dentistry, we’ve completed many successful root canal treatments, helping patients keep their natural teeth. Dr. Hall combines the wisdom and expertise of nearly four decades of family dentistry with the latest technology for minimal pain and rapid healing. Our staff focuses on explaining the procedure and making you comfortable the entire time. Remember: putting off needed dental care doesn’t make the problem disappear. Tackling problems as needed reduces pain and can prevent tooth loss down the road.
