Been told you need a dental root canal procedure?
One of the most dreaded of all dental procedures, the root canal dates back to 1756, when Phillip Pfaff would fill painful and infected teeth with molten gold – ouch!
Luckily, modern-day root canal treatments are far more effective (and painless) when compared to these first examples, but the principle is very much the same.
When a tooth has broken down, either through impact or decay, the pulp of the tooth is at a higher risk of infection. If an infection occurs, it can cause a very uncomfortable abscess, which can spread and cause further complications in the mouth.
Prior to the 1960s, many dental surgeries simply removed infected teeth, but that was not great for aesthetics if the tooth was at the front.
If your dentist in Kings Hill recommends a root canal, there are many benefits to this procedure that are often overlooked.
1. Stops discomfort
Dental infections are never fun.
Many patients aren’t aware that they have an infected tooth until an abscess has formed and the majority of abscesses are not pain-free!
Having a root canal performed by an endodontic dentist in Kings Hill will remove the infected pulp from the tooth and stop the pain almost immediately. Talk about fast pain relief!
2. Restores the tooth function
Along with the aesthetic issues surrounding tooth loss, having a root canal restores tooth functionality.
Many people assume that without the pulp of the tooth, it is impossible to feel the tooth but this is not so; there are many interconnected nerves in the mouth and so, after a few days, the feeling of the tooth will return.
3. Prevents further infections
Of course, many dental professionals prefer to attempt a filling before a root canal but often this is inadequate due to incorrect preparation and cleaning. Therefore, the infection may return in a few months.
A root canal removes all of the bacteria from the root of the tooth and stops the already existing infection from spreading. Once the tooth is cleaned and filled, recurrence of infection is very low, meaning no more painful dental abscesses!
4. No tooth loss!
Tooth loss can have a real impact on the quality of life.
Many people with missing teeth feel insecure in themselves due to having gaps in their smile, but there are complications with missing teeth too, such as destabilisation of surrounding teeth due to jaw shrinkage, poorer digestion and even acid reflux.
As a root canal restores the tooth, all of this is avoided and with the long term success of root canals being at 98.7%, it is a worthwhile procedure.
5. Cost-effective
Having an extraction as opposed to a root canal is more expensive in both the short and the long term.
As previously mentioned, missing teeth can impact on mouth functionality and may require more costly work, like dental implants, to restore the correct bite and chewing ability of the mouth; a root canal is a simpler and cheaper alternative.
Are you dreading going for a dental root canal procedure? Hopefully knowing these advantages will give you the extra nudge you need to get it done.