A deep cavity or fractured filling can lead to a tooth infection. This happens because the bacterial growth gets inside the tooth chamber and affects the pulp and nerve tissues, leading to symptoms like severe sensitivity, toothaches, and gum inflammation. If you have an infected tooth, your family dentist in Kips Bay, New York, is most likely to recommend a procedure called root canal therapy. The other alternative is to remove the infected tooth, which may mean more complications. Many patients have an innate fear of RCT, which is why we have shared a factsheet for your help.
Signs that you need root canal therapy
Infection in a tooth is often accompanied by many signs and symptoms, including an abscess in the gums. You may also experience sensitivity while eating hot and cold foods, along with throbbing pain in the tooth. Some patients may not have any symptoms of an infection, but the dentist may spot a deep cavity during a checkup. Swelling around a tooth also indicates deep decay. Root canal therapy becomes essential when the pulp is affected, and this could happen because of decay, injuries, or broken fillings.
Addressing pain and discomfort
Many patients don’t want to go for the procedure, fearing pain and discomfort. The good news is you will not feel anything, as your dentist will use a local anesthetic agent that will be injected into the gums. Even if you have dental anxiety, they can discuss sedation options with you.
RCT doesn’t always require many appointments
Root canal therapy can be completed in one appointment. Your dentist may, however, divide the entire procedure into two or three sessions to ensure your comfort and faster healing. What happens during RCT? After using local anesthesia, the dentist will place a rubber dam on the tooth to keep saliva away. They will then drill an access hole to get inside the tooth. The next step is to use dental files of different sizes to remove the pulp and reshape the canals. They will finally clean the tooth with special agents to prevent reinfection and seal it with gutta-percha. If multiple appointments are necessary, you will have a temporary filling between the sessions.
You will need a crown after the procedure to restore the function, size, and shape of the tooth. Getting a crown doesn’t involve pain, and you will only need two additional appointments. Crowns are usually made of porcelain, resin, metal, and porcelain-fused-to-metal in a dental lab and customized for each patient.
The success rate of RCT
Root canal therapy has a high success rate and remains the most effective procedure for saving an infected tooth. In rare cases, RCT may fail, which may require retreatment. Root canal retreatment repeats the same procedure and addresses the new infection.
RCT vs. extracting an infected tooth
If you decide to have the infected tooth removed, you will have to think of a replacement soon. Also, tooth extractions often lead to rapid bone loss and shifting of other teeth. While dentures and bridges are useful for replacing missing teeth, the ultimate choice is dental implants that can prevent further bone loss. Compared to the cost and complications of getting dental implants, root canal therapy is a lot cheaper and doesn’t involve as many risks. Dentists always consider saving the natural teeth of a patient, and they will always recommend RCT when there is a mild chance of protecting an infected tooth from extraction.
Final takeaway
Root canal therapy is not painful or complicated. As long as you choose a dependable and experienced dentist in Kips Bay, there is little to worry about risks.
