After a doing a little internet research I knew I needed to see my dentist about the tooth pain I was feeling. That is when I heard the dreaded diagnose- root canal! No! I wasn’t even sure what that meant but it didn’t sound fun or cheap. Having gone through this experience I am proud to present for your reading pleasure this guide of must know information.
Defined
A root canal is a treatment repairs and saves badly decayed or infected teeth. During this procedure, the nerve and pulp of the trouble making tooth are removed. Then the inside of the tooth is completely cleaned and resealed. If you think this is a procedure you can skip think again without proper treatment the tissue surrounding the decaying tooth will surely become infected and abscesses may form.
The “Root canal” is the natural cavity of the center of the teeth. The pulp chamber is just the soft area within the center of a tooth. The nerve resides within the tooth’s root canal. Your tooth’s nerve is not vitally important to the tooth’s health or function. Don’t fret the absence of the nerve has no affect on the daily functioning of the tooth.
What Causes Infection?
When the nerve tissue or pulp becomes damaged, it breaks down allowing bacteria to form and multiply. This bacteria causes infection. Abscess can occur when infection spreads beyond the ends of the tooth’s roots. Even more troubling an infection of the root canal typically causes:
* Swelling can spread to the face, neck, or head
* Bone loss
* Drainage into the skin
Do You Need a Root Canal?
What symptoms to look:
* Severe toothache pain when eating or under pressure
* Extreme sensitivity to hot or cold
* Discoloration
* Gum swelling and tenderness
* A recurring pimple on gums
Sometimes no symptoms will be present that is another reason for having regular check ups.
Cost?
Now the real scary part. How much is this going to cost you. Cost varies depending on the severity of the affected tooth. Most dental insurance will cover this procedure.The current average cost for this treatment performed by a general dentist typically range from $350 to $540 (incisor) to $520 to $800 (molar). A specialist will be much more expensive.
Saving your natural teeth is the very safest and best option for patients suffering with decayed and infected teeth.
Alternatives?
There are no real alternatives. The only alternative to a root canal procedure would be extraction. This will require additional expensive and time intensive procedures.
Bottom line is root canal infection and decay is very serious and needs to be treated. The procedure is not overly expensive and is nearly painless. If you think you may be in need of this treatment call your local dentist. The sooner you catch the problem the easier the process will be to fix it.
