Your natural teeth are so valuable. Just imagine what life would be like without them! In fact, countless people all around the U.S. can describe exactly what that’s like. People who have to wear full or partial dentures can provide you with plenty of details about how artificial teeth are never quite the same as your own. So it only makes sense to do whatever you can to preserve and save your natural teeth. One of the best methods of doing that is with a root canal.
How the Procedure Works
Sometimes a cavity can lead to an infection that spreads to the pulp of the tooth. If this happens to you, you’ll probably know it. Often, the surrounding gum tissue becomes tender and sore. And the tooth itself is usually very painful, particularly when you bite down on it. In these instances, the only way to salvage the tooth is by removing the infected pulp. That’s what happens in a root canal procedure.
Your dentist will begin by numbing the affected tooth and surrounding gum tissue. A hole is then made in the top of the tooth, and your dentist will remove the nerves and infected pulp. The next step involves thoroughly cleaning the pulp chamber and filling it with a durable dental material. If the structure of the tooth is compromised, your dentist may cover it with a crown after the root canal procedure, making it all that much stronger.
Since a tooth doesn’t require either pulp or nerves in order to function properly, removing the infected pulp can save the natural tooth. For that reason, a root canal is often an excellent way to save a tooth.
When Extraction is Necessary
Unfortunately, there are circumstances in which even a root canal won’t work and the tooth will need to be pulled. In some instances, even a root canal can’t save a tooth. If you develop a very large cavity that severely weakens the structure of the tooth, it may not be possible to perform a root canal on the weakened tooth. Another example would be if you break a tooth and the fracture extends all the way down below the gum line. In that case, the tooth will most likely need to be removed.
The only way to know for certain whether or not a root canal can save a tooth is by visiting your dentist. If a root canal is recommended, don’t worry! Although it will likely require more than a single trip to the dentist office, root canals are common procedures and are typically very successful in saving teeth that might otherwise be lost.
