For some people, finding out that a tooth needs root canal treatment in order to save it can be surprising. However, some patients might expect that their tooth is in serious trouble given the many different symptoms they’ve been experiencing. The need for root canal treatment stems from the presence of severe decay in the inner chambers of your tooth, including its pulp and root canal. The procedure is designed to remove the infection from these chambers, stopping it from progressing and protecting the rest of your healthy, natural tooth structure.
The symptoms of severe tooth decay
Tooth decay is the formal name for the infection that develops in your tooth structure due to oral bacteria. In many cases, it’s treated in more mild to moderate stages, often with the help of a tooth-colored filling. However, tooth decay can get more serious before you realize it, and by the time many patients seek treatment for it, it’s already reached the tooth’s inner chambers. This can lead to intense levels of discomfort in the tooth, usually so severe that they can’t be ignored. It will also lead to the continued erosion of your healthy, natural tooth structure until you treat the infection.
What root canal treatment does for your tooth
Root canal treatment is the process of carefully accessing the interior pulp chamber and root canal of the tooth so we can remove the infected nerves and tissues from within. This is vital to stopping the infection from progressing any further and compromising even more of your tooth. Once this is done, we can seal the root canal and pulp of the tooth using a biocompatible material. This seal protects the inside of the tooth by preventing harmful oral bacteria from getting inside of it again, and causing the infection to progress again.
What could happen if you wait too long
In severe cases of tooth decay, when the tooth is too compromised for root canal treatment to restore it, the tooth may have to be extracted to stop it from posing a threat to the rest of your oral health. While tooth decay is most often treated before it gets this severe, ignoring or postponing treatment long enough could increase your risks of tooth decay becoming that serious. With root canal treatment, you have a better chance of avoiding losing the tooth and restoring your healthy, natural smile.
Learn if you need root canal treatment
Needing root canal therapy means that your tooth is threatened by severe infection, which is why treating it as soon as possible is important. To learn more, schedule an appointment or initial consultation by calling Advanced Dental Concepts in Auburn Hills, MI, today at (248) 852-1820.
