One of the greatest advantages of modern dentistry is that you have options for addressing most issues that affect your dental health. Sometimes, however, your tooth or gum tissues may be in such dire straits that you only have one viable option for saving it. For instance, if your tooth is severely and internally infected, then root canal treatment may be the only treatment that can remove the threat and save your tooth. Otherwise, the tooth may need to be extracted to prevent the infection from threatening the rest of your oral health.
What Root Canal Treatment Means
Root canal treatment, or endodontic treatment, is the process of accessing the pulp of an infected tooth to remove the harmful bacteria and infected tooth tissues. Because the pulp chamber and the tissues within it are connected to the tooth’s root canal, the process also involves cleaning and sealing the canal, which a simpler tooth filling cannot accomplish.
Why It’s Necessary
Tooth infection, or tooth decay, progresses constantly, and once it reaches your tooth’s root canal, it can spread beyond the root to the tissues and jawbone structure that support it. This can lead to a wide range of serious oral health complications that require extensive treatment to address. In severe cases when root canal treatment fails or you hesitate to seek treatment, your dentist may need to extract the tooth to avoid such complications and restore your smile’s good health.
Find Out More About Root Canal Treatment
If your dentist suggests that root canal treatment is necessary, then you may be out of other alternatives for saving your tooth from severe tooth infection. To learn more, schedule an appointment with your dentist by calling Keelan Dental in Butler, PA, at (724) 256-4612. Our Smile Certified experts happily serve patients from Butler, Cranberry Township, Mars, Pittsburgh, Butler County, and all surrounding communities.