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May is recognized as Root Canal Awareness month, highlighting the importance of good dental health and promoting awareness about root canal therapy. Root canal therapy is a common dental procedure that is often misunderstood. Our endodontic team can assure you that despite its negative reputation, a root canal treatment is a safe, effective, and a routine procedure designed to save your natural teeth.
Root Canal Therapy
Root canal therapy is performed when the pulp inside the tooth (containing nerves and blood vessels) becomes infected or inflamed from tooth decay, cracks or dental trauma. Without proper treatment, this infection can spread to the surrounding bone and cause serious complications. Having a root canal done means removing the infected pulp, cleaning and shaping the root canal system, and then filling it with a biocompatible material to prevent further infection.
Our endodontist focuses on treating your damaged dental pulp and the tissues surrounding the root of the problem tooth. As dental specialists, we have additional training and expertise in performing root canal procedures and treating complex endodontic cases. We use cutting edge specialized tools and techniques to perform root canal procedures more efficiently and effectively, with minimal discomfort to you.
Tooth Infection Symptoms
If you are experiencing severe tooth pain, sensitivity to hot or cold foods and drinks, swelling, or fever, you may need a root canal treatment to relieve the pain and save the damaged tooth from requiring extraction. It’s essential to understand that delaying or avoiding a root canal treatment can leave you with severe dental issues, like tooth loss, infection, abscess and bone loss.
Root Canal Prevention
In addition to raising awareness about the importance of root canal therapy, Root Canal Awareness Month also emphasizes the significance of maintaining good daily dental hygiene practices. Keeping up with your scheduled biannual dental checkups, brushing and flossing twice a day, and staying away from sugary and acidic foods and beverages all work together to prevent tooth decay from infiltrating your smile.
Root Canal Misconceptions
- Root canal therapy is painful: Our endodontic team uses modern techniques and sedation options to make your root canal treatment a comfortable and pain-free procedure.
- Root canal therapy causes illness: This misconception has been debunked by numerous studies. To date there is no scientific evidence supporting the claim that root canal therapy causes illnesses.
- Extraction is a better option: While extraction may seem like a quick and easy solution, it can lead to a host of other dental problems. Extracting a tooth can cause the surrounding teeth to shift, leading to misalignment, bite problems and gum disease. In contrast, root canal therapy is a conservative and cost-effective way to save your natural tooth and restore optimal dental function.
Seek Prompt Treatment
As you can see, Root Canal Awareness Month is a great way to shine a light and remind you that root canal therapy is a safe, effective and routine dental treatment that can restore your smile. We hope this blog helps you make the most informed decisions about your dental health and, most importantly, seeking timely treatment for your dental issues. Our endodontic team’s goal is to help you maintain a healthy, beautiful smile for years to come!