Finding out just how bad your tooth decay has become can be pretty distressing, but finding out you need root canal treatment to restore it doesn’t have to be. In fact, if your dentist suggests root canal treatment, the good news is that your tooth can still be saved despite the fact that it’s severely decayed. Root canal treatment is the process of removing severe infection from inside of your tooth and its root. At this stage of decay, the tooth may be close to complete or near complete destruction, and root canal treatment may be your last chance to save it.
What Severe Decay Means
Tooth decay is most commonly associated with the cavities, or holes, that it causes in healthy tooth structure. However, when treated early, cavities can often be addressed with minimally invasive, tooth-colored fillings. A filling replaces the tooth structure that decay as eroded within the cavity. When decay progresses, though, it can reach the center chamber (pulp) of your tooth, which is connected to the tooth’s root. Because a filling can only replace the main structure of your tooth, it won’t suffice to treat decay that has reached your tooth’s interior and root structures.
How to Treat a Root Canal
Root canal treatment is designed to remove and replace decayed tooth structure just like a filling, but to a more extensive degree. Your dentist will carefully access the tooth’s pulp to clean out harmful bacteria and infected tooth tissues. Then, he will seal the pulp and the root canal with a safe, biocompatible material known as gutta percha. Finally, a filling and dental crown can restore the health and appearance of your tooth’s main structure, as well as its strength and function.
Find Out if You’re a Candidate for Root Canal Treatment
To be a good candidate for root canal treatment, your tooth must be too severely infected for a filling but still healthy enough to avoid having to extract it. To learn if your tooth qualifies, schedule an appointment by calling Lathrop Dental Center in Katy, TX at 832-437-3849. We proudly welcome patients and families from Katy, Fulshear, Weston Lakes, Simonton, Richmond, Rosenberg, Brookshire, Wallis, Orchard, Cypress, Sealy, Columbus, and all surrounding communities.
