When is a Root Canal treatment needed?
There are two main reasons your dentist would recommend root canal treatment. The first is infection. An untreated cavity (bacteria) may cause the tooth’s pulp to become infected. The second reason for selecting a root canal would be trauma or damage to the pulp (often caused by a fractured tooth).
When the pulp is inflamed but not infected, it may heal independently. In such cases, your dentist may prescribe antibiotics and wait to see what happens. If the pulp becomes infected, an abscess may form. Root canal treatment would instead save the tooth by removing the infected or damaged pulp, treating any infection, and filling the empty root canals.
Aren’t root canals painful?
They don’t have to be. At Gateway Dental Arts in Salt Lake City, Utah, we offer sedation dentistry in addition to thoroughly numbing the treatment areas. Our techniques let patients dream through the entire experience with little or no memory of the visit. So while root canal treatment has a bad name elsewhere, there’s nothing to fear when making your appointment at Gateway Dental Arts.
Crowns
Generally, a tooth that needs a root canal may also have a large filling or portions of the tooth that are missing due to decay or breakage. In such instances, a dental crown can restore the tooth.
Crowns are permanent dental restorations that fit over the portion of the remaining tooth that extends above the gums. Crowns are also sometimes referred to as caps. In addition to restoring structure, crowns provide a seal that protects the tooth’s interior. While once made of gold, dental crowns today feature a white porcelain surface that matches and blends with your neighboring teeth.
