Too many people live with tooth infections for too long because they believe too many outdated myths about dental treatment and procedures — especially root canal treatment near you. The symptoms of serious tooth infections are no picnic — extreme pain and sensitivity, foul tastes and pus in your mouth, bad breath, inability to eat and chew naturally, swelling, and more — and an infection that is left in place for too long leads only to two places: infections throughout your body and having teeth pulled.
But there’s good news! Those root canals that too many people have shunned and avoided are not the complex and painful procedures that they may have been a generation ago. Thanks to constantly ongoing developments in techniques, technologies, therapies and medications, root canals are painless procedures for rescuing patients from infection and saving teeth from unnecessary extractions. Here are some straight truths about undergoing a root canal in West Edmonton that you need to know to make decisions about your health.
They are not painful
In the dusty and long-gone era of dentistry that predates sedation dentistry, laser dentistry, advanced anesthetics, and effective pain relief strategies, root canal was a painful and complex procedure. Today, though, root canal is a painless procedure that doesn’t cause pain, but can eliminate pain while ensuring the complete removal of potentially dangerous infections.
Yes, they eliminate pain… but more than that
Pain is a common symptom of a badly infected tooth, but is not present in every case. In fact, the absence of pain can be a symptom of an infection so serious that the nerve and formerly living tissues in your tooth have died. Determining whether you would benefit from a root canal procedure involves considering a lot of factors. Some of them, you can observe for yourself:
● unusual sensitivity
● tenderness under pressure
● changes in the colour of the tooth
● changes in the height of a tooth
● the appearance of pimple-like bumps on your gums
● and a foul taste or smell in your mouth.
Your dentist in West Edmonton may be able to confirm the need to undergo root canal treatment near you in other ways that you won’t be able to notice yourself, using temperature tests and percussion testing as well as detailed imaging. All of these symptoms and confirming factors can be present without significant pain.
It’s probably a permanent solution
Yes, there are rare situations when root canal treatment is not completely successful and must be repeated to ensure the complete elimination of infection. In the vast majority of situations, though, root canal treatment is long-lasting and potentially permanently successful — especially once the treated tooth is protected with a crown to provide structural support and a shield against penetration by bacteria.
Getting your tooth pulled is not a good alternative
Sometimes an infection is so serious that having the tooth pulled is the only reasonable next step. Your dentist will carefully review the health of your tooth, gums and mouth to decide if your situation has reached that point. Don’t worry, your dentist won’t pull your tooth unless it’s absolutely necessary. Why?
A tooth extraction can be an invasive, stressful and traumatic procedure that can increase the risk that harmful bacteria can enter your bloodstream. An extracted tooth also has to be replaced one way or another. Implants, partial dentures and bridges are all good options for replacing an extracted tooth, but they all involve additional expenses and procedures. A well-timed and successful root canal procedure by your dentist in West Edmonton can save your natural tooth and eliminate any need to worry about tooth replacements.
Decisions about your health and well-being should be made based on facts, not myths. To find out whether root canal therapy at a dentist near you is right for your situation, contact a dentist in West Edmonton about the health of your teeth.
