Root canals get a bad rap. People often think that they're painful, dangerous, or unnecessary when the reality is that they reduce pain, are completely safe, and are often totally necessary. In fact, root canals can play a big role in your overall health, and in extreme circumstances, getting one could potentially protect your life. Here's how a root canal can make that big of a difference.
What a Root Canal Does
It's important to understand what a root canal is so that you can understand how it helps. Root canals aren't tooth extractions. When a dentist performs a root canal, the goal is to save the tooth while fixing what's gone wrong inside the tooth. Whether due to decay or disease, if the inside of a tooth starts to decay, it can trigger extreme pain.
When a root canal is performed, the inside of the tooth is essentially scooped out, and then the tooth's root is filled. This same tooth gets put back right where it came from, so you don't need a tooth replacement.
Why It's So Important
When a tooth gets infected, it's a very big deal. Infections can be extremely painful, and if left alone, the bacteria responsible will reproduce and spread elsewhere. This means that your gums and other teeth could become susceptible to similar infections.
In some circumstances, tooth infections have actually caused people to die. This is because the infection can migrate from the teeth into the sinus cavities, and eventually make its way to the brain. What started as a simple tooth infection can become quite deadly.
In other cases, bacteria from the tooth infections have made it to the bloodstream. Once there, the bacteria attacks and inflames everything it comes into contact with, including your circulatory system. Scientists now believe that there's a link between dental bacteria and cardiovascular disease. In short, a decaying tooth could ruin your life in two different ways.
What to Do
If you think that you have a bad tooth or someone has told you so, you need to get it taken care of. Root canals are a simple way to address this problem that won't leave you with cosmetic deficiencies or any loss of chewing function.
When you visit your dentist for a root canal, they will be just as concerned with preventing pain as they are with treating your tooth. Your gums will be numbed topically, and then an injected pain reliever will completely numb the area. You shouldn't even feel any pressure while you're having your root canal performed.
Once you're numbed, your dentist will drill into your tooth to remove any decay on the outside of it. Then they'll go to work cleaning out the interior. Once the job is complete, you'll be sent home with pain relievers and, potentially, antibiotics. Take your medication as directed and you'll be just fine.
Root canals do a lot to protect people, even going so far as to help prevent life-threatening problems from developing in the body. If you have one or more bad teeth, get to a dentist and don't put it off any longer.
Share5 December 2018
When the bottled water craze began, I jumped on the bandwagon with everyone else who was drinking water from bottles instead of from the tap. I wasn't sure why bottled water was healthier, but I liked the taste. When I went for my next dental check-up, I had my first cavity in a while, so I had it filled and didn't think much of it. Well, I had two more during my next check-up after that, and I began trying to think of why my teeth were suddenly going bad. The only change in my habits was the switch to bottled water, so I made the switch back to tap water and my teeth began to improve. I created this blog to encourage others who have begun getting cavities suddenly to look into their changes in habits. They may find they made a change similar to mine.