The ability to save an injured or diseased tooth is one of dentistry’s greatest achievements. In the past, such teeth frequently had to be removed. But with endodontic treatment—more commonly known as root canal treatment —performed by an endodontist or general dentist, a restored tooth could now last a lifetime.
However, the words “root canal” often frighten most patients. Hence Lakewood Endodontics has rounded up a few facts to shed some light on root canal procedure:
- A root canal cleans and disinfects the inside of the tooth to allow it to heal. The nerves and the blood vessels located in the pulp chamber server for the development of a tooth when a person is a child or a teenager. Later in life, the nerve’s function is to cause pain when something is wrong with the tooth, whether it’s decay, infection, inflammation or trauma. Pain is therefore a defense mechanism that alarms a person to seek help.
- Usually teeth that need root canal treatment have very big cavities or big fillings. A tooth with a big filling is more at risk to be fractured. For this reason, your dentist may recommend the placement of a post and a crown after the root canal procedure.
- Root canal treatment is recommended as a way to actually save the tooth, which is a high priority for most patients. In an AAE survey, more respondents indicated a desire to avoid losing a permanent tooth or getting root canal treatment than paying taxes or speaking in public. But two-thirds also ranked root canals as the dental procedure they most fear, more than having a tooth pulled or a cavity filled.
- A root canal does not cause pain. In fact, root canals are performed to relieve pain caused by inflammation of the pulp chamber or a dental infection. Patients who have undergone the treatment say that the process is virtually painless.
- Studies have shown that 85% of patients will return to the same dentist who performed their root canal therapy.
- 40 million root canal treatments are performed yearly in America.
- While nothing is as great as a natural tooth, there are times when an infection is so bad that a root canal is the only option. Luckily, root canals have a notoriously high success rate, with 95% of them lasting a whole lifetime.
To know more about root canal procedure and how it can help you, visit Lakewood Endodontics today. Aside from comprehensive dental care services, we also strive to keep our patients better informed.