Your teeth are meant to last a lifetime. Years ago, disease or injured teeth were usually pulled. But today, a tooth can often be saved through root canal therapy. Endodontics is the branch of dentistry that specializes in treating diseases of, or injuries to, dental pulp.
Why is Root Canal Treatment Needed?
Treatment is needed for infected or inflamed pulp. The pulp is soft tissue inside the tooth that contains blood vessels and nerves. When the pulp becomes infected or inflamed, you most likely will feel pain, and will need treatment.
Pulp infection and inflammation most often occur if you have:
- a cracked or chipped tooth
- a deep cavity or filling
- other serious injury to the tooth
Problems from infected or inflamed pulp
The infection or inflammation in the pulp can spread to the tissues around the root of the tooth. This can cause pain and swelling, but even if there is no pain, bacteria from the infection can damage the cone that holds the tooth in your jaw.
Without a root canal, the infection and damage will continue and your tooth mostly likely will need to be removed.
Removing but not replacing a tooth can create problems
When a tooth is removed and not replaced, the teeth around it may shift. This can make it hard to bite, chew and clean your teeth. Areas in your mouth that are not cleaned well are more likely to have problems like decay or gum disease.
Root canal therapy can prevent these problems by saving your natural tooth
Also, root canal therapy is usually less expensive than the replacement of a tooth.
