Nothing looks, feels or functions better than your own natural teeth. Your natural teeth are micro organs and are as much a part of our bodies as any other. Good personal oral hygiene, along with six-month check-ups from your dentist, can help you keep your teeth for a lifetime. In this blog, we explore the importance of preserving your natural teeth with modern endodontic treatments. Including a case study to showcase a root canal treatment with a 20-year follow-up appointment. If you’re interested to learn more about endodontic treatments, enquire now
Sometimes teeth may have infection or disease and will need additional care. When possible, you should always consider treatments to save your tooth rather than removing it.
We advise that you don’t pull out a tooth because you think it’s easier or more cost-effective. Missing teeth can cause other teeth to shift, affect your ability to properly chew, and ruin your smile. Tooth extraction often is more painful than the infection itself. If you replace an extracted tooth with an artificial one, the treatment will be complicated, costly, and not always successful.
Modern endodontics: How can we save your natural teeth?
Modern endodontics offers advancements in technologies, procedures, and materials. We provide you with a variety of treatment options to save your natural teeth. It’s important to understand your choices and how they’ll impact both your tooth and your future dental health. We recommend that you retain your natural teeth whenever possible, and endodontic treatments should be your first choice for the best health and cosmetic results.
Root canal treatments
Contrary to common belief, root canal treatments are usually painless with much less discomfort during recovery than if you have your natural tooth extracted. Thanks to modern techniques, materials, advanced equipment and a deeper understanding of the healing process, modern root canal treatments have a very good long term prognosis.
When should I consider an endodontic treatment?
Endodontic or root canal treatment becomes necessary when:
- The inside of your tooth (the pulp) becomes inflamed or infected as a result of deep decay.
- Repeated dental procedures, faulty crowns or a crack or chip in the tooth.
- Trauma to your tooth may also cause pulp damage even if the tooth has no visible chips or cracks.
- If pulp inflammation or infection is not treated, it can result in pain or lead to an abscess.
How do we treat a root canal and preserve your natural teeth?
Our team has a philosophy to preserve your natural teeth as best as possible. We will treat inflamed or infected pulp tissue. We do this by carefully cleaning and disinfecting the inside of the tooth canal. Thereafter, we fill and seal the canal to prevent any recurring infection. Thereafter, we will restore the tooth with a crown or filling. This will ensure it will continue to function like any other tooth and protect it. This helps you to maintain your natural smile, continue eating the foods you love, and limit the need for ongoing dental work. With proper care, most teeth that have had root canal treatment can last a lifetime.
Case study: Root canal treatment
Here is an example of a root canal treatment, and how our team implemented minimally invasive treatments:
The first photo shows an old root canal treatment with an old crown and an infection around the root tips. The treatment included removing the old crown, redoing the root canal treatment, and making and fitting a new crown.
This second photo shows a 20 year follow up x-ray view with healing of the original infection.
As in this case, keeping your own natural tooth is by far the most predictable and least invasive treatment option and should always be considered first.
Book an endodontic consult if you think a root canal treatment is necessary.
