endodontics

Root canal: When is it necessary?

Brushing twice a day, flossing, and visiting your dentist for exams each year is essential for your oral health. Unfortunately, you still may require involved dental treatments even after following your dentist’s recommendations for healthy teeth and gums. Considering millions of people undergo a root canal treatment, learning when this common procedure is necessary is smart.

Broken Tooth

A chipped, broken tooth not only affects the appeal of your smile, but it can also cause damage to your underlying nerves. If the tooth is hit with severe trauma, it can also sever the nerve completely. This kills the nerve, decreasing your chances of successful tooth repair.

A root canal may be able to repair the damage to the nerve, reconnecting it to the existing tooth. After saving the damaged nerve, your dentist can bond the surface enamel to restore the broken tooth.

Abscess

An abscess develops when an infection develops in the tooth pulp and spreads to its roots. An abscessed tooth is painful, but very serious. If this infection is left untreated, it may spread to the bone, resulting in serious complications.

Antibiotics will be necessary to treat the infection, but your dentist will also perform a root canal treatment to remove bacteria and dead tissue from the tooth pulp and roots.

Cavity

Cavities are also common reasons to undergo a root canal. Since cavities form over time, they can cause bacteria to spread deep into the tooth pulp, decaying the tooth and infecting the pulp and roots. If you have a deep cavity, you may experience tooth sensitivity, pain in and around the mouth, head, and jaw, and tender, bleeding gums.

The best option for repairing deep cavities is to remove the decay by cleaning out the root canals. In many cases, removal of the damaged nerve will also be necessary.

A root canal treatment may be common, but it deserves serious thought and consideration. Contact our caring team at Florida Smile Studio to learn if this procedure will benefit you and your dental health.

The ins and outs of a root canal

The term root canal actually refers to an area inside the tooth that houses the tooth pulp and the nerve that serves the tooth. When a tooth becomes seriously infected or severely decayed, clearing out this area of the tooth can be the best way to preserve it. Without the option of this root canal procedure, the tooth might have to be extracted.

Purpose of a Root Canal

A root canal is used to preserve a tooth that has been severely damaged by infection, decay, or trauma. The procedure removes the infected or decayed tissue, preventing further damage to adjacent teeth, or wider-spread infection. Usually when a dentist recommends a root canal, it is because the only other option is removal of the tooth.

Using a root canal to preserve a tooth helps keep your teeth in proper alignment. If the tooth is simply removed, you run the risk of having teeth shift and move into the empty space, disrupting your bite and possibly leading to uncomfortable side effects such as teeth grinding or temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD).

The Root Canal Procedure

Although the root canal dental procedure has a bad reputation, it is no more difficult or uncomfortable than a filling or a crown. Our dentist makes a small hole in the tooth, through which special tools are inserted and used to remove the infected tissue. After the infection and/or decay has been removed, the interior of the tooth is then thoroughly cleansed and filled. After this process, the dentist prepares the tooth for a crown.

After a root canal, there is no feeling left in the tooth, because the nerve has been removed. However, the tooth remains functional so that you can chew normally. With the original tooth left in place, your remaining teeth remain in proper alignment, preventing misalignment that can occur due to tooth loss.

If you feel you might be in need of a root canal to help preserve a damaged tooth, please contact our dentist in Fort Lauderdale to schedule an appointment or a consultation.

Root canal to treat nerve issues

Endodontics is a branch of dentistry that specializes in treating problems with the tooth’s interior, or tooth pulp. When problems develop with this part of the tooth, a root canal procedure is often necessary. This procedure is usually performed by our endodontist.

What is the Root Canal?

Your teeth are made of several parts. The exterior portion is the tooth enamel, which is the hardest substance in the human body. Beneath the enamel lies the dentin. The dentin is filled with microscopic pores that transmit sensation from the tooth surface to the tooth’s interior. This interior is called the root canal.

Each individual tooth has a root canal. Root canals vary in size depending upon the size of the tooth. This cavity holds a mixture of nerve tissue, connective tissue, and tissue that supplies circulation to the tooth. The pulp’s main purposes are to transmit sensation such as heat, cold, and pressure, and to regenerate dentin.

The Root Canal Procedure

Root canals can become damaged or infected due to various problems such as:

• Severe trauma
• Severe decay
• Cracks caused as a side effect of tooth restoration

Once bacteria and infection enter the root canal, they can spread through the root into surrounding bone and other tissues. Infection can affect adjoining teeth, the jawbone, facial bones, the sinuses, and even the brain if spread is left unchecked. Because infection can spread into such vital areas, it’s important to have any infection treated in early stages.

To prevent these serious side effects, our specialist might recommend a root canal procedure. This procedure removes all the pulp tissue as well as the infection. The tooth interior is sterilized and refilled with a special resin, then the tooth itself is fitted with a crown. The tooth continues to be usable, although it no longer experiences any sensation since the nerve has been removed. When a tooth becomes this seriously damaged and infected, this procedure is often the best—and sometimes only—way to preserve it.

If you’re having tooth pain, contact our office today to schedule an appointment!

What is root scaling and planing?

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Periodontics is a branch of dentistry that focuses on the health of the gums. Healthy gums are vital to maintaining healthy teeth. In fact, severe gum disease is one of the main causes of tooth loss. If you do develop gum disease, there are several types of treatment. One of these is planing and scaling.

Symptoms of Gum Disease

Gum disease is a common problem, and can begin with mild symptoms you might not notice right away. Our dentist, though, can detect signs you might not see. When gum disease is diagnosed early, it can be treated more easily. Symptoms you should keep an eye out for include:

• Bleeding when you brush your teeth
• Redness or swelling in the gums
• A purple or shiny look to the gums

During your regular dentist appointments, our dentist will also evaluate the pockets around your teeth. If they are too deep, this is an indication that gum disease might be more advanced. Based on the severity of your symptoms, our dentist will recommend a course of treatment.

Treatment for Gum Disease—Root Scaling and Planing

Early stages of gum disease, called gingivitis, are simply an inflammation of the gingival tissue. Brushing with a baking soda toothpaste or a similar toothpaste designed to reduce gingivitis symptoms might be the only necessary treatment. As the infection progresses, more extensive treatment might be required. One common treatment for gum disease is scaling and planing.

Scaling and planing is a deep cleaning technique in which the dentist thoroughly cleans tartar and plaque from the teeth below the gumline. In addition, the upper parts of the tooth roots are planed to make them smoother. The smoother surfaces are less likely to collect additional plaque and tartar. The procedure is usually performed under a local anesthetic, sometimes accompanied with sedation. The gums are then allowed to heal. Without the excess tartar, they can return to a normal, healthy condition. If you continue to take good care of them after your treatment, they will remain healthy.

Call us at East Broward Dental to schedule your appointment or consultation with Dr. Taskonak.

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