A root canal is something that can help you salvage your tooth and relieve the pain you have as a result of a bacterial infection that has infiltrated the innermost layer of a tooth, or the pulp. While root canals are common procedures, many people believe a number of myths circulating about the procedure. Here are a few things you need to know about root canals.
Cavities Aren't the Only Cause
It is easy to think that you can avoid root canals by brushing and flossing regularly. That is true, but there are other reasons that a root canal may be necessary.
For instance, if you already have a cavity filling or a crown, they can be faulty and allow bacteria to enter the pulp layer of a tooth. This can lead to intense pain that can require a root canal. Also, if you fracture your tooth in any way, tooth fragments can get into the pulp layer and you may very well need a root canal to extract fragments from the pulp.
Tooth Removal is Better
When the pulp layer of your teeth is infected, you may think it is easier to just have your tooth extracted. However, tooth removal can cause a number of problems for your teeth and gums. For one thing, the hole in your mouth will cause your remaining teeth to shift. That can cause your gums to pull away from your teeth, creating "gum pockets" that are easy for bacteria to settle in; you may ultimately end up with gum disease.
Saving your natural tooth is one of the main benefits of the root canal procedure. By removing the pulp that is infected by bacteria, the root canal helps you to keep your tooth so that you have no further problems with the tooth in the future.
Root Canals are Not Necessarily More Painful than Other Dental Procedures
From movies, television and stories you may have heard, you may think that root canals are the most painful dental procedure out there. This makes many people put off their root canals, and the tooth deteriorates even further. Root canals are like any other procedure; some people experience some pain, and others don't experience as much pain as they expect. However, it is important to remember that the root canal procedure will in fact remove the terrible pain of bacterial infection, so it is worth it.
This article has given you some important facts about root canals. Now, you can work to avoid root canals in your own teeth. If you should need a root canal, because you understand more about them, you will be better prepared. See a dentist, such as one from Bristol Dental Group, regularly and find out more about this common procedure.
Share17 February 2015
I knew that my hearing wasn’t as good as it had once been, but I was still upset when my doctor told me that I had a significant hearing loss in both ears, and that I was going to need hearing aids if I wanted to participate more fully in my day to day life. But then I started researching hearing aids. I was thrilled to find out that there were small, barely visible aids that could help me hear without marking me as hearing impaired on first glance. Even better, the hearing aids were much more advanced than I’d thought. The ones that I chose can actually help cancel out environmental noise, like the clatter of a loud restaurant, so that I can focus on conversation with the waitress or the person across the table. My hearing aids have really improved my life.
