1816 Eagle Drive, Bldg 200-A, Woodstock, GA 30189
More About Root Canals
Why Would A Tooth Need A Root Canal?
The nerve in a tooth can become infected for many reasons. An area of deep decay could penetrate into the nerve. Biting down on a hard object could break off part of the tooth and expose the nerve. Orthodontic movement of a tooth can stretch the nerve in very rare instances and cause the nerve to die. Teeth with deep decay and subsequent deep fillings are prone to nerve tissue dying.
Indications
In any case, when the nerve becomes infected, the nerve tissue must be removed by either extracting the tooth, or performing a root canal (endodontic treatment). Ideally, the root canal should be done before the infection has a chance to spread into the bone. Unfortunately, people tolerate pain and adapt to it often ignoring symptoms. This is often true with infected teeth because tooth nerves are very simple, and infected teeth do not always provide strong sensory signals to the brain. Thus the patient may appear at the dentist with chronic infection that has spread into the jawbones and created pressure. It is this pressure from infection which manifests the pain secondarily to the infected tooth. Sometimes the infection, pus, can penetrate a hole through the jawbone to create an escape for the pressure. This is termed a “fistula” and is actually a pressure release valve created by the body. If a patient forms a fistula, they often do not ever experience pain and the infected tooth can continue to build infection in the jawbone indefinitely, until a routine dental exam is performed. Periodic dental examinations, and having your tooth checked when it first begins to hurt will usually help avoid severe complications.
Endodontic Treatment
Root canal therapy can be performed by one of our doctors at Fountain View Dentistry or by a specialist known as an “endodontist.” Endodontic treatment (root canal therapy) consists of cleaning, shaping, and filling of the root canal system inside your tooth. The root canal system is the space inside the tooth that in health is occupied by soft tissue.
In disease, this space may be occupied by inflamed, infected, and/or necrotic tissue that can be the source of infection, pain, and swelling outside of the tooth. Endodontic treatment is necessary to preserve a tooth in which this has occurred. If you elect not to have endodontic treatment for your tooth, the alternative treatment is extraction (tooth removal).
State-of-the-Art Treatment
At Fountain View Dentistry we implement the latest technology in the world to accomplish a comfortable and predictable root canal treatment. This technology has transformed the bad connotation of root canals in the past to a process that is no longer a major concern. The use of digital x-rays, ultrasonic canal determination, rotary files, and heated filling material that seals the canals – all accomplishes ease and comfort with great results.
Afterward
The prognosis for successful healing of your tooth following endodontic treatment typically is good. However, a small percentage of teeth receiving endodontic treatment do not heal completely and require further endodontic treatment (such as endodontic microsurgery) or extraction.
Following root canal therapy, your tooth typically will receive a post and core and crown. The post strengthens the tooth and is coupled with a crown to prevent fracture.
New Patients Always Welcome. To experience distinctly different dental care, call today and reserve your appointment with Dr. Harden and our wonderful staff. Fountain View Dentistry serves the Woodstock, Acworth, Canton, Kennesaw, and Marietta communities with general dentistry and cosmetic dentistry for all ages.
