We understand why patients often immediately feel the need to say, “no!” when we recommend root canal treatment for an infected tooth. Many patients who enter our practice come to us with a variety of exaggerated stories they have heard, which cause them to feel nervous rather than confident about treatment. Fortunately, we have a pretty good instinct regarding your concerns and an even better ability to empathize and consider where you’re coming from. Because both your comfort and your oral health are our top priority, we have gathered some compelling reasons you should feel good about restoring your tooth’s health with a root canal.
Without It, Consequence Are Severe
Perhaps you have dealt with a chipped tooth or a cavity in the past and waited on scheduling a treatment appointment. Maybe things even turned out find and there were no serious side effects to your decision to put off dental care. In the case of an infection, however, urgency is key. The infection will only continue to worsen because your body cannot clear it on its own. If we do not address it soon enough with root canal treatment, one of the following may occur:
- The tooth may abscess, leading to extreme discomfort
- Your tooth may die, which will result in a need for an extraction – you will then have an open space in your mouth that will require a costly tooth replacement
- The infection may spread from the affected tooth to surrounding healthy tissues, resulting in a need for extensive restorative treatment
Root Canal Treatments Improve Your Comfort
Patients often come to us worried about the procedure because they think it may feel uncomfortable. Understanding this information is essential: An infected tooth is extremely uncomfortable. Root canal therapy removes the source of that pain – the infection – so you may return to comfort. During the procedure itself, your tooth and surrounding tissues will remain numb because we will begin by applying an anesthetic. We also offer sedation dentistry if you feel at all anxious, so you can rest assured, we will monitor your comfort throughout so you have a wonderful, beneficial experience.
ABOUT YOUR KATY DENTIST:
Dr. Colin Lathrop and the Lathrop Dental Center proudly serve patients and families from in and around Katy, Fulshear, Weston Lakes, Simonton, Richmond, Rosenberg, Brookshire, Wallis, Orchard, and all surrounding communities. If you’d like to schedule a dental appointment, you can reach our office in Katy, TX, by calling (832) 437-3849.
