Why should I choose root canal therapy?
Relieve Tooth Pain
- Toothaches are painful, and can distract you from living your best life. They can also be a sign of a serious infection. Fortunately, root canal therapy can provide you with the relief you need, and with modern techniques, you won’t feel a thing. Root canals remove the infected area and restore the health of your tooth.
Stop The Spread Of Infection
- Left untreated, infection can spread to other parts of your mouth, and even the rest of your body.
Save Your Tooth
- Restore the health of your tooth, and avoid the need for a more drastic procedure like an extraction.
- If you are given a choice between root canal treatment or tooth extraction, always choose root canal treatment if the tooth can be saved. Dentistry has yet to produce a denture, bridge or implant that looks, feels and functions as well as your natural tooth.
Most teeth can be treated. Occasionally, a tooth can’t be saved because the root canals are not accessible, the root is severely fractured, the tooth doesn’t have adequate bone support, or the tooth cannot be restored. However, advances in endodontics are making it possible to save teeth that even a few years ago would have been lost. When non-surgical endodontic treatment is not effective, endodontic surgery may be able to save the tooth (see Apicoectomy Surgical Retreatment).
We recommend that you call your restorative dentist as soon as possible to make your follow-up appointment. Dentists' schedules tend to book quickly. It is recommended that you have your permanent restoration placed 2-3 weeks after your root canal treatment to allow healing to take place, but not longer than one month after the procedure. This step is imperative for the long-term prognosis of your tooth.
The temporary filling placed in the biting surface of your tooth is designed to last ideally two to four weeks, not longer than six to eight weeks. It is crucial to see your general dentist for a permanent restoration. Waiting longer than eight weeks can cause your temporary filling to leak, thus contaminating your newly completed root canal therapy.