When you attend a dental examination, your dentist can discover any problems with tooth decay that require treatment before causing any painful symptoms. This means that when caught in time, a more conservative procedure, such as a dental filling, can repair your tooth. While consistent dental attendance can help you discover these problems in their early stage, decay can sometimes lead to a more advanced state.
Your San Antonio, TX dentist can provide more involved care when decay causes more serious damage. If an infection of oral bacteria reaches the inner chamber of your tooth, we could provide a root canal therapy. By removing your infection, we treat your body’s painful inflammatory response and restore the tooth to maintain its position in your mouth. Let us know right away if you suspect an infection, as waiting for treatment risks allowing your infection to spread.
How An Infection Can Take Hold Within Your Tooth
When your tooth is healthy, its outer protective enamel layer prevents the oral bacteria that live inside your mouth from accessing the inside of your tooth. Unfortunately, any condition that breaks this seal risks allowing bacteria to enter the inner pulp chamber. Whether from tooth decay or physical trauma, failure to promptly repair your tooth can lead to an infection that requires a root canal. When an infection causes pain, your body’s inflammatory response causes tissues inside the tooth to swell and push against your sensitive nerves. Because your enamel is broken, the exposure of your nerves inside could also set off pain when eating or drinking, so take this as a sign to also speak with your dentist.
A Root Canal Can Remove Bacteria And Heal Your Tooth
To perform your procedure, we first numb the area with a local anesthetic to provide comfort throughout. When done properly, a root canal should be no more painful than other common dental treatments such as receiving a filling. We then access the inner chamber using special tools to remove infected tissues. We finish by cleaning the inside of your tooth and placing a permanent seal to prevent reinfection. This could come in the form of a tooth-colored filling for your front teeth or a dental crown for your back molars. Because many teeth that require root canals are molars, a crown offers a greater ability to withstand the force of your bite by sealing the tooth completely above your gumline. At your follow-up appointments, we will inspect your restoration to see that your tooth is fully repaired.
Talk To Your San Antonio, TX, Dentist About A Treatment For Removing Your Tooth Infection!
If you have an aching tooth that will not go away, do not hesitate to let us know! A root canal can remove your infection and reseal your tooth to protect it for the future. If you would like to learn more about this procedure, please call Aesthetic Dental Partners in San Antonio, TX today at (210) 446-3446.
