An alternative to a root canal is a tooth extraction, in which your dentist can replace a damaged tooth with a bridge, partial denture, or implant. This can be an expensive treatment and usually requires several visits to your doctor. If you're a candidate for a root canal, you'll likely experience less pain over time.
Pulpotomy is commonly done on children, and it is performed on adults as a temporary substitute for a root canal. Extraction: A dentist recommends extraction in cases of severe damage to the teeth or irreversible tooth decay impacts.
While root canals are pretty common, there are some drawbacks to having this procedure done. One of those drawbacks is that it might weaken the tooth. Dentists have to drill through the tooth in order to get to the pulp, and additional decay might have to be removed.
If the infection has seeped into the tooth's pulp, then root canal therapy becomes unavoidable. On the contrary, fillings can be used instead of a root canal if the tooth has a smaller cavity or a minor decay, which has not yet reached the pulp.
Keeping a tooth is the better option. Proper root canal treatment will save a tooth, and with good dental hygiene, it should last a lifetime, without the need for further treatment. With the original tooth, the line of your jaw stays firm, your teeth are healthy, and you will need fewer visits to the dentist.
In most cases, root canal therapy is a better way to treat an infected tooth than an extraction. However, there are exceptions, such as if the tooth has suffered extreme damage. Your dentist will carefully analyze your oral health before making a treatment recommendation.
Your dentist may recommend a root canal when your tooth shows signs of infection or significant pulpal nerve damage. When a tooth is cracked or has a significant cavity, bacteria is able to enter the pulp, and if left untreated, can lead to serious infection, bone loss, or the loss of the tooth itself.
Are Antibiotics a Viable Alternative to Root Canal Therapy? In some cases, a tooth infection will react well to antibiotics and make root canal therapy redundant. However, in other cases, taking antibiotics will only delay the inevitable, and the patient will have to opt for a root canal treatment in the future.
Root canal treatment may not be performed if a tooth has cracked or is poorly embedded in the jawbone.
There is no possible way to cure a cavity once it has reached the inner dentin layer of a tooth. The only sure method to remove a cavity and keep it from spreading is by visiting your dentist and having them remove the damaged area for you by performing a filling procedure.
Irrigating the tooth cavity with Ozone gas is another alternative to root canal therapy. Ozone penetrates the tubules of the tooth beyond the drilled areas and the lateral tubules to disinfect the tooth beneath the enamel.
A root canal procedure is recommended and performed only when there is an oral health need and other procedures cannot fix the problem. Not having this suggested dental procedure done can lead to more advanced problems.
This includes the type of tooth, shape of the canal system, and current or past injury. While an endodontist can perform the procedure regardless of the circumstances of these aspects, general dentists will typically only do so when the conditions are less complex.
>When you are dealing with a tooth with damaged nerves and pulp, a root canal is typically the first procedure your dentist recommends. It is not the only option though. You also have the option of having to remove the tooth.
Technically, you don't always need a root canal treatment before getting a dental crown. Sometimes a dental crown improves the appearance of a stained or discolored tooth. While the dentist may stain the tooth's enamel, the inside of the tooth isn't compromised, and therefore a root canal isn't necessary.
Unlike other human body parts, our teeth cannot heal themselves after being damaged. The sole feasible course of action is to remove the infected parts to save the natural tooth. Schedule your appointment with a dentist today and get the treatment on time!
However, if a tooth is severely damaged, your dentist may not be able to save it. In these cases, they will normally recommend that the tooth be removed. Dentists may recommend removal in the following circumstances: Dental injury resulting in a cracked or fractured tooth or root.
The biggest factor a dentist looks at when deciding if a tooth can be saved is how much “good” tooth structure there is left. If the tooth is broken at the gumline and has a big cavity that goes down to the bone then there is little hope that the tooth can be saved.
If you wait a long time to undergo a root canal, bacteria will attack the tip of the tooth's root, causing serious bone loss. Such bone loss can result in tooth loss.
Accumulation of unwanted materials: Cholesterol crystals can accumulate and irritate the tissues where the root canal was done, as well as scar tissue or cystic lesions. Immune system response: The procedure can cause an overactive immune response in your body, causing negative health impacts.
When we take periodic x-rays of your teeth, we can detect a root canal infection long before it shows any symptoms and becomes serious.
Root canals save your teeth by getting rid of the infection and fortifying what's left of your natural tooth. The only dental alternative to a root canal procedure is having your tooth removed. Then, tooth replacement is necessary to prevent bone loss in the jaw.
The root canal procedure is completed in two separate visits to ensure that the tooth is thoroughly cleaned out, sealed up, and protected from further damage.
With proper care, even teeth that have had root canal treatment can last a lifetime. But sometimes, a tooth that has been treated doesn't heal properly and can become painful or diseased months or even years after treatment.
In addition, healing from an extraction takes longer and is often more painful than healing from a root canal, and pulling the tooth means even more dental procedures and healing time to replace it later. Still, pulling the tooth might be right for some situations.