Your permanent teeth can last a lifetime with good oral hygiene, but cavities and damage like cracks or gum disease can cause you to loose your teeth prematurely. When decay and damage extends to the tooth pulp (the center of your tooth that contains nerves and blood vessels), it leads to the irreversible inflammation of your tooth’s nerve, and oftentimes to infection. Once infection takes hold, it can spread throughout your body, and it becomes necessary to either remove the tooth or perform a root canal.
What Is a Root Canal and Why Do I Need One?
Most people shudder at the mention of a root canal, as it’s assumed root canals are painful procedures that keep you trapped for hours in the dentist’s chair. While pain is a sure sign that damage has been done to the tooth nerve, the root canal procedure itself is not painful, and it also saves your damaged tooth.
After numbing the nerve and surrounding gum tissue, Dr. B will open up the tooth and gently remove the damaged nerve. The tooth will be cleaned out, disinfected, and filled back up so bacteria are stopped from moving back in. After the tooth heals and your body eliminates the infection, your tooth will be evaluated for either a permanent filling or a crown. This leaves your tooth intact, in its original position, and protected against future infection.
While getting a root canal may be more expensive than having the tooth removed entirely, we always strive to save your tooth if we can. Dr. Bielozer and the staff at Bielozer Family Dental will be happy to talk to you about your options and we’ll help you find the solution that’s best for you.
