When you develop an infected or abscessed tooth, this could lead to serious complications for your smile, from bad breath to toothaches or even tooth loss. In today’s blog, your Austin, MN, dentist will explain how we treat infection with a root canal, and what complications treatment could help you avoid.
The Causes of Infection
Inside each and every tooth is a bundle of living tissues known as your pulp, the nerve center keeping each tooth functional and healthy. An infection means that bacteria has come into contact with the pulp, leading to painful symptoms such as swelling a discharge, pain when you bite down or chew, or persistent toothaches and sensitivity. The infection could be the result of an untreated cavity or injury to the tooth. If you encounter one or more of these warning signs, we urge you to contact our team and schedule a visit right away. As we will discuss in the next section, there are major consequences for ignoring the discomfort and letting the situation grow more severe.
The Impact of an Infected Tooth
An issue will grow more severe with time, eventually causing the inner pulp to essentially die, which effectively kills your tooth. We may need to extract the tooth to prevent the spread of infection to surrounding teeth. Otherwise, you could lose the tooth regardless and also endure painful symptoms in the surrounding ones as well. To preserve the health, stability, and appearance of your smile, you need to undergo treatment right away.
The Root Canal Procedure
The root canal treatment involves the dentist numbing your tooth, and then opening it to remove the infected tissues from within. We then clean the interior of the tooth and add a special restorative material. The final step involves capping the tooth with a custom crown, one that looks natural and protects the tooth from further decay or infection. The procedure not only preserves your tooth, but provides relief from major discomfort. You also avoid bad breath due the infection, and prevent the spread of problems to surrounding teeth or the jawbone itself. Finally, you avoid the need to find a replacement option, such as a bridge or dental implant. If you have any questions about how we identify and repair an infected tooth, or about the root canal procedure or our lifelike dental crowns, then contact our team today to learn more.
Do You Have an Aching Tooth?
We want to help prevent the onset of complications with endodontic therapy. With treatment, you enjoy a more comfortable smile, and avoid serious complications such as tooth loss. Be sure to contact Potach and Mitchel Dental in Austin, MN, today at 507-437-6312. Our team wants to help you enjoy a comfortable and functional smile, one free of major oral health issues.
