Root Canal Treatment

Advantages

Root canal treatment relieves the pain and discomfort caused by the damaged tooth.

If you believe in the idea of preserving natural teeth, then root canal is the best treatment for you, because you don’t have to live with an artificial tooth. In a root canal treatment, your dentist fixes your existing tooth and it can continue to serve you as is expected, for natural eating and speaking.

Disadvantages

The tooth becomes brittle and prone to fractures. However, the likelihood of these problems can be avoided with a crown.

A root canal treatment is more expensive than a tooth extraction. However, if you compare the cost of replacing the tooth with an implant, as compared to a root canal, you will find you will have to spend more on a tooth implant.

Even though root canal treatment can save a tooth with severe decay from extraction, there are a couple of things to keep in mind to maximize the lifespan of the devitalized tooth:

• Regular teeth cleaning with a good way as well as the use of mouthwash and flossing can go a long way in protecting oral health, as a devitalized tooth can decay too.
• Dental routine check-ups are prescribed at least twice a year
• As the tooth is devitalized, this can make it more fragile and inclined to chip when exposed to too much pressure.
• Sometimes, the tooth can darken after the treatment. This can be affected by a small amount of pulp being left inside the tooth or by the root canal medications. The discoloration can be corrected by teeth whitening, a veneer or a crown.

Questions & Answers