Are Root Canals Safe? Unveiling the Truth between Root Canals and Your Health
Dentists use root canal treatment (endodontic therapy) to treat an infected tooth. When you fail to treat a tooth infection, your tooth eventually dies off but still has harmful bacteria that can damage the nearby tissues. A root canal saves your tooth from extraction and prevents the infection from harming nearby tissues. But how safe are root canals?
Root canals have long been controversial, and you may be caught up in the confusion — but not anymore. Dr. Beata A. Carlson and Associates at Natural Dentistry in Clearwater, Florida, are here to set the record straight about root canals. Keep reading to discover the impacts of root canals.
What does a root canal involve?
Untreated cavities, tooth damage, or decay can progress until it reaches your pulp chamber. Harmful bacteria enter your tooth through this opening, inflaming your pulp. Dentists use root canals to remove the diseased pulp chamber through an access hole at the top of the tooth. Next, the dentist cleans your tooth and fills it with synthetic material to seal out future infections. The final step is to restore your tooth with a filling or crown.
The dark side of root canals
A root canal saves your tooth from extraction and partly manages the infection from harming the surrounding tissues. However, it is essential to acknowledge that root canals are challenging.
Following are the probable dangers and side effects of root canal treatment:
- Altered tooth structure: A root canal destabilizes your tooth by removing the pulp chamber and its contents. Although your dentist restores your tooth with a filling or crown, it is no longer as strong as before. A weakened tooth becomes susceptible to fractures and cracks when biting, chewing, or grinding
- Lurking infection: Removing the infection in your tooth completely during a root canal is nearly impossible, causing the remaining bacteria to multiply inside and around the tooth. And since your tooth doesn’t have nerves, the infection grows without causing any pain. If left untreated, the bacteria can affect the surrounding tissues and enter your bloodstream, causing systematic problems in your body
Although a root canal could preserve your tooth, you should consider its downsides. Our approach is to prevent the need for a root canal in the first place by emphasizing routine daily care and semiannual dental appointments. However, when your tooth is compromised, we recommend safe alternatives to root canals.
Call your trusted holistic dentist today!
Would you like to learn more about root canals in Clearwater, Florida?
Please call 727-888-6929 to talk to Natural Dentistry. We will tell you everything you need to know about root canals, including the alternative treatments that suit you.
