If you are experiencing dental pain as a result of a tooth infection, you may be told by your dentist that you need to have root canal treatment.
The infection treated by root canal treatment is in the interior part of the tooth, which is called the pulp. This contains nerves and other tissue that can become infected when there is an injury to the tooth, a crack, a loose or lost filling, or a cavity.
What Root Canals Can Involve
When a root canal is performed, the patient is given a local anesthetic. An endodontist will then work to remove infected pulp from inside the tooth and clean its inner chamber, before filling the place where the pulp used to be with a material like gutta-percha. Then, the opening in the tooth will be closed using a temporary filling. In a later appointment, a crown will be fitted to fully reconstruct the tooth, and this is usually a permanent fix that, with good oral hygiene practices, will last for life.
Why Root Canal Treatment Is Better Than the Alternatives
Root canal treatment is usually done when it is the only option that will save the tooth – the other option being to remove the entire tooth rather than just the infected pulp. Root canal treatment is the preferred option because it preserves the original tooth, albeit with a crown and a rebuilt interior filling, and natural teeth are (when healthy) far better than any of the synthetic options currently available. Root canal treatment has a very high success rate and has salvaged a lot of people’s real teeth, avoided the need for extractions, and also prevented dangerous tooth abscesses.
While there are some myths and theories that other alternatives to root canal treatment can be used, ranging from changes in diet to treating the tooth with ozone gas, in reality, when a root canal is recommended it really is the only option that will save the tooth and put an end to dental pain. It is a routine procedure and is not painful due to the local anesthesia used, and so when a root canal is recommended it is best to simply go and have it done!
If you are in need of root canal treatment, make an appointment right away with the best root canal dentist in the New York area, and take the best care of your smile!
If you need dental care, call one of the best root canal dentists in New York at 646-205-3045. Our offices are available to help you to get the support and care you need to improve your oral health and protect your teeth.