Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Root Canal Treatment

When tooth decay progresses beyond simple restoration with a filling, to infect the nerve of the tooth, root canal treatment is necessary to save the tooth.  The infected nerve is removed and replaced with a root canal filling, likely a rubber material gutta-percha cemented in place.

The procedure usually requires one or two appointments and is not painful once the tooth is thoroughly numbed.  After completion of the root canal, the tooth is weak and brittle, requiring a crown to restore the natural strength and beauty of the tooth.

The alternatives to root canal treatment are not favorable.  Delay in treatment often means increasing pain and swelling as the infected nerve deteriorates into a dental abscess infecting the surrounding jaw bone and face.  The tooth can be extracted and replaced with an implant crown.  This alternative is twice as expensive and time consuming than simply saving the tooth with root canal treatment.

At Adult Dentistry of Rochester, Dr. Dulski believes that the best root canal treatment is one that never need be done.  With routine X-rays and examination, tooth decay can be restored with a simple composite filling for one-tenth the cost of a root canal and crown.  To learn how Dr. Dulski can help you avoid the time and expense of complex restorative care, visit http://www.dulski.com/rootcanals.html.

Tags: Root CanalsTooth PainRoot Canal TreatmentCrown

7 comments:

  1. It is always better to try to save your natural teeth.

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  2. It's never cheaper to postpone, & postpone some more when it comes to your health & your money.

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  3. People always think root canals are painful,but if you take care of your cavities when you first find them, then you won't have to worry about the pain.

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  4. When I questioned patients about their root canal pain, I found out their pain may have started long before they decided to see us about it - the increasing sensitivity and ultimately serious pain is due to letting the decay go, winding up with inflamed nerves inside the tooth. Many times, the same side of the face is swollen sometimes resulting stretch marks!

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  5. It is less expensive to do dental work at initial onset. This can be accomplished with routine dental cleanings and x-rays. You still can have dental work done even though you do not have insurance. We offer payment options for those who need them. Now if you procrastinate or just let the decay go it can turn into a root canal. Root canal is a comfortable procedure. The time it becomes more uncomfortable is when the patient waits due to fear or financial reason and the tooth becomes infected. So don't put off today what should have been done yesterday and see your dentist regularly.

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