A tooth infection is a pretty common oral health issue. Almost everyone experiences cavities at some point in their lives. Cavities occur when bacteria buildup on the surface of your tooth and wear away at your dental enamel with corrosive acid. Eventually, this allows the bacteria to work its way deep into your tooth. Beneath the enamel are layers of dentin and pulp. These tissues are more sensitive and can become infected quickly once bacteria are present. Beneath these layers are the root canals of your tooth. When your tooth infection runs this deep, it can cause serious problems.
Treating Cavities Quickly Prevents Serious Infection
It’s recommended that you visit your dentist every six months because it gives your dentist a chance to evaluate your teeth and thoroughly clean them. If you’ve been brushing diligently at home and you visit every six months, you likely won’t have any oral health issues. Even if you have developed a small cavity, six months shouldn’t be enough time for the infection to spread to the interior of your tooth. Your dentist can treat simple cavities with dental fillings to repair your teeth and prevent more serious infections.
Infected Root Canals Pose Health Concerns
Root canal infections are serious, and not just because of the effect they have on your teeth. Root canal infections can create health risks in other areas too. Your root canals are the passageway from your teeth to the other tissues in your mouth. These canals carry blood vessels and nerves, so they’re a vital system within your mouth. When bacteria gets into these areas, the bacteria can spread through those canals and reach other oral tissues in your mouth and sinuses.
Root Canal Infections Require More Substantial Treatment
If you go for long periods of time between dental visits — a year or several years — this can open the door for more serious oral health conditions, like infected root canals. Once the bacterial infection has spread to this part of your tooth, your dentist will need to perform root canal therapy. This is a treatment during which your dentist carefully accesses the interior of your root canals by making a small hole. Your dentist will then extract all of the bacteria and infected oral tissue from inside. After carefully filling the canal and sealing the hole, your dentist will place a dental crown over the tooth to protect it from future damage.
Treat Oral Health Concerns at Potach and Mitchell Dental
Your oral health is important for the sake of your overall health. If you’re suffering from an issue like a cavity, you should treat it right away to avoid more serious problems. At Potach and Mitchell Dental, we effectively treat oral health issues large and small. Schedule your appointment for treatment at Potach and Mitchell in Austin, MN by calling our office at 507-437-6312.
