When Can a Doctor Suggest a Root Canal Treatment?

When Can a Doctor Suggest a Root Canal Treatment?

Jun 01, 2022

When you need medical assistance to manage your oral health, any number of dental treatment protocols can resolve your oral problems. The big range of choices can get you overwhelmed, especially if you do not know enough about each procedure. For example, how do you decide against a tooth extraction when you have severe toothache? While removing the tooth may sound like the better option, you can consider other treatments like root canal therapy.

What Is a Root Canal?

It is an endodontic dental procedure for repairing a diseased or damaged tooth to save it. Ideally, a root canal near you provides an alternative to treating a tooth other than a tooth extraction. A dentist in Calgary, SW, recommends a root canal when (s)he sees potential in your damaged tooth to be saved.

What Do Root Canal Treatments Entail?

A root canal near you entails treating the internal layers of teeth to help sustain the external tooth framework. The processes in a root canal treatment solely target the tooth pulp and root cavity. First, the dentist near you numbs your mouth. The local anesthesia will make the procedure painless from the start to the end.

Once your mouth is numb, your endodontist will drill the tooth enamel, creating a small hole through which to access the inner layers of your teeth. The next step involves cleaning and ridding your mouth of all damaged soft tissues, including blood vessels, nerve endings, and other connective tissues. Although these soft tissues help nourish the tooth as it grows, a fully grown mature tooth can function just as well without them.

When the cleaning phase is complete, the dentist will begin to shape the inside of the tooth canal, preparing it for a special filling called gutta-percha. The filling will help keep the tooth framework compact and ready for sealing with dental fillings. In some cases, dentists recommend placing a dental crown over the tooth, reinforcing its strength and structure.

What Is the Purpose of Root Canal Treatment?

The purpose of the root canal procedure is to increase the life of natural teeth. Endodontists consider these treatments as perfect alternatives to preserving natural teeth for several more years instead of tooth extractions. After a root canal procedure, you may not need to worry about restorative options to replace your missing teeth. Besides, no artificial tooth is nearly as strong as a natural tooth.

When Do You Need a Root Canal Treatment?

Ultimately, it should be your decision whether you proceed to get a root canal or not. Still, our responsibility as dental experts at Image Dental is to recommend the most suitable treatment for you. Some patients may desire a root canal, but it may not be a viable solution for their problem. Some of the cases that qualify you for a root canal procedure are:

  1. Tooth sensitivity – enamel hypersensitivity may indicate exposed tooth roots or thinned-out enamel. A dentist may recommend a root canal to overcome tooth sensitivity to hot and cold foods.
  2. Toothache – many patients who get root canals have toothaches. This type of dental pain is one of the obvious markers that your tooth nerves have an infection. Other than tooth removal, a root canal procedure can treat your pain.
  3. Tooth abscess – refers to swelling at the base of the tooth near the gum line. The swelling occurs due to infected tooth roots, forming an abscess which is a pocket filled with pus. A dentist will recommend an endodontic procedure to treat your tooth root.
  4. Tooth structural damage – a cracked, chipped, or broken tooth may merit a root canal procedure. It is especially true if most of your tooth structure is intact enough to be deemed salvageable. Besides, sometimes a crack on your tooth may only damage the external framework, not meriting a root canal after all.
  5. Tooth decay – dental cavities are justified grounds for both tooth extractions and root canals. A dentist will only recommend a tooth extraction if the tooth structure has suffered extensive damage. The rest of the time, your dentist will root for an endodontic treatment to restore your tooth’s health.
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