While surface-level damage is certainly not a preference many people wish their smile to endure, complications that impact health such as decay and infection can be even more troubling. Indeed, nobody wants their smile’s appearance to suffer, but sometimes a healthy-looking grin may turn out to host dangerous decay that is slowly but surely getting worse without treatment. In today’s blog, your Auburn Hills, MI dentist examine what to do when the infection spreads into the roots of your teeth, and how root canal therapy can help.
How Decay Infects a Tooth
By now you are probably aware that dental decay is among the most common oral health threats in the world. After all, it affects millions of individuals every year, and there are a number of restorative dental procedures that are used to address its varying stages. But just how does decay come to be?
Every smile contains oral bacteria, and it is up to us to ensure our smiles are cared for thoroughly with a preventive dental routine. When these microorganisms are allowed to thrive, they feed off of the food you consume, some of which cause them to secrete destructive acids. Over time, this acid eats away at your tooth and a small hole known as a cavity begins to form.
While dental fillings help mitigate damage, sometimes the destruction is so significant that it causes a restoration to fail. What’s more? Decay of this severity often indicates bigger concerns that may impact function. To learn more about this process or to schedule your next appointment, contact our team today.
More Difficulties with Oral Function
As the infection spreads, it works its way deeper and deeper into a tooth. Here, it begins to target your sensitive dental pulp and nerves. Indeed, common side-effects at this stage include sensitivity to extremes in food or beverage temperatures, sharp shooting pains, and even problems performing daily tasks such as biting, chewing, speaking, and eating.
The longer you wait before seeking treatment, the worse your condition will become. Because of this, our team encourages you to come in for a checkup to assess what your next best steps are. To learn more, reach out to our team today.
Acting Sooner Rather than Later
At this stage of the decay process, a root canal treatment is likely going to be your best bet. During this process, our team will carefully but thoroughly clean and remove the decaying portions of your tissues, then fill the open canals with dental material to reinforce strength. Finally, your procedure is complete with the placement of a crown restoration atop the doctored tooth to promote proper healing.
Schedule Your Appointment
To learn more information about your restorative options, or to schedule your appointment with our team, contact Advanced Dental Concepts in Auburn Hills, MI by calling 248-852-1820 today.
