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.
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.
Root canals are perhaps the most feared dental treatments. Just like any other medical procedure, early prevention and intervention can save you from getting a root canal. In most cases, a root canal is needed when a cavity gets deep and close to the pulp (nerve) of the tooth.
Root canals are a simple procedure that are recommended to save damaged, natural teeth and prevent the need for dental bridges and implants. Root canals are necessary when the pulp, or soft tissue, inside the tooth becomes inflamed or infected, which could lead to an abscess.
An untreated root canal can not only result in bone loss and infection but can also result in an acute abscess. An abscess is the formation of pus on the infected tissue or the area of decay. Some of the symptoms of an acute abscess include unbearable pain, swelling and fever.
Dental treatment alternatives to a root canal include direct pulp capping, pulpotomy, pulpectomy, endodontic retreatment, endodontic surgery, tooth extraction, dental implants, bridges, or dentures.
Although antibiotics will not be effective in lieu of a root canal, your provider may prescribe a preventive course of these medications following your root canal treatment. This is to reduce your risk of developing infection in the bone surrounding the tooth, which prophylactic antibiotics are very effective at doing.
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.
Lack of symptoms
Extreme pain. Tooth sensitivity, particularly to heat. Discolored Tooth: darkened teeth indicate nerve damage.
All dentists are trained to treat and diagnose diseases of the pulp. However, some teeth can be especially difficult to diagnose and treat. For example, certain general dentists will do their own root canals on anterior or bicuspid teeth, because these teeth are easier to access and only have one or two roots.
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!
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.
Con – treatment might weaken the tooth
It is possible for a tooth to become weaker after a root canal. Dentists must drill through the tooth to get to the pulp, and additional decay might need to be removed. If the tooth is too weak to function, the dentist will add a crown to it.
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.
You must undergo a root canal within a few weeks to fully eliminate the infection and save your tooth.
If you delay root canal treatment, the oral infection continues to get worse, and it can even lead to a very serious condition called septicemia — when the localized infection from your tooth spreads through your body. This can quickly become a dangerous health situation that you want to avoid at all costs.
Tooth extraction is necessary when the natural tooth is beyond saving, or the patient prefers an extraction over a root canal. Before an extraction, an oral surgeon or general dentist administers anesthesia and then simply pulls the tooth from its socket.
A dental crown reinforces and restores a tooth after root canal therapy. Once the root canal treatment on the tooth is complete, a dental crown helps protect and strengthen the tooth. Although tooth reinforcement is needed after all root canal procedures, a dental crown is only required sometimes.
How to know if you need a root canal? Endodontic treatment is necessary when the pulp, the soft tissue inside the root canal, becomes inflamed or infected. The inflammation or infection can have a variety of causes: deep decay repeated dental procedures on the tooth or a crack or chip in the tooth.
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.
My first choice of antibiotics is amoxicillin—that is, if there are no contraindications, such as allergies (figure 1). Because of its broad spectrum, it is effective against root canal-invading bacteria and polymicrobial infections. Metronidazole is added to the regimen if amoxicillin is ineffective after 48–72 hours.
As mentioned above, only about five percent of root canals fail, and sometimes it is not actually a “failure.” In cases, of teeth that have more than one root, it is possible that only one root was infected and filled.
Under normal circumstances, the long-term success rate for root canal therapy ranges between 80-95%. Although success rates are high, below are some of the most common causes of root canal therapy failure: 1.