Three Reasons a Dentist Would Recommend a Root Canal Treatment

Root canal treatment is used to address infection or inflammation of the nerves and blood vessels in a tooth’s pulp chamber. The contents of the pulp chamber can become inflamed or infected for various reasons like trauma to a tooth, an untreated crack, or severe deep decay. Root canal treatment often allows patients to save badly damaged teeth instead of having to extract them.

Reasons root canal treatment might be recommended

Here are some of the reasons why a dentist might recommend performing root canal therapy on a tooth:

1. Deep tooth decay

Tooth decay is caused by acids made by oral bacteria eating away at a tooth. The damage starts on the enamel's outer layer, then makes its way into the tooth’s innermost layers. It leaves the soft tissues in the pulp chamber exposed to acids in the mouth, causing inflammation and excruciating toothaches.

A dentist might recommend root canal treatment once tooth decay has reached a tooth’s pulp chamber. At that point, it is only a matter of time before the tooth gets infected. A root canal removes the soft tissues in the pulp chamber, taking away the possibility of infection. Teeth treated with a root canal are sealed up with a material called gutta-percha and covered up with a crown or composite bonding.

2. Abscess/infection

A tooth infection can spread beyond a tooth’s pulp chamber into the gum and bone tissues surrounding the tooth. The condition is called an abscess, and it often comes with symptoms like swelling around the tooth, pus coming out of the tooth, and a bad taste in the mouth.

Root canal therapy can clear out the infection in these areas, saving the tooth from extraction. The procedure is also used to treat infections that stay in the pulp chamber.

3. Severely damaged tooth

Trauma to a tooth can lead to chips, breaks, or fractures. Minor damage to a tooth can be fixed with cosmetic restoration, but severe damage that opens up the pulp chamber requires a root canal.

Not treating the tooth will eventually lead to the tooth becoming infected. Performing a root canal on a damaged tooth protects it from infection and stops any pain caused by the damage. The tooth can then be protected with a restoration like a crown afterward.

The process

Root canal therapy is a straightforward procedure that can be completed in as little as an hour. A local anesthetic administered at the start of the treatment prevents the patient from feeling pain as the dentist works. A hole is made to access the pulp chamber, and the pulp is removed with dental files.

Medication is inserted into the pulp before closing it with gutta-percha. The tooth can then be restored with composite bonding or a crown. The patient gets to return to their daily activities right after the treatment.