Don’t Overlook Your Root Canal Treatment

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Don’t Overlook Your Root Canal Treatment

By Wright Smiles

A root canal is the part of your tooth that connects the pulp, or hollow chamber filled with living tissues, to the roots embedded in your jawbone. Root canal treatment is the process of cleaning and sanitizing the pulp and root canals when a bacterial infection (tooth decay) reaches the inside of your tooth. Though many people are familiar with root canals because of disconcerting stories they may have heard, Dr. Wright and Dr. Heron remind you that most second-hand stories aren’t usually accurate. If your tooth is severely infected with decay, then root canal treatment is necessary to relieve the excruciating discomfort and prevent the loss of your tooth.

Relive Excruciating Pain

Tooth decay begins when the outer layer of your teeth, called enamel, grows too weak to repel infectious bacteria from your tooth’s structure, known as dentin. Comprised of a softer, more porous material than enamel, dentin sends sensory information to the nerves in the center of your tooth. You may experience increasing tooth sensitivity as your enamel dissolves, then more distinctive aching as the dentin becomes infected. If bacteria reach the pulp, or hollow chamber, that houses the tooth’s nerves, then the pain can become excruciating. Infected pulp will require restorative treatment to save the tooth, relieve the pain, and stop the infection from spreading through your teeth’s root canals.

Save the Tooth From Extraction

Root canal treatment describes accessing the interior of the tooth to clean away bacteria and necrotic tissues, as well as thoroughly sanitizing the root canals connected to the pulp. Afterwards, Dr. Wright or Dr. Heron will fill the root canal with sturdy, rubber-like gutta percha, then restore the tooth with a dental crown to strengthen it. Besides relieving the pain of severe tooth decay, the restoration also stops the infection from consuming so much of your tooth that it can’t be saved.

ABOUT YOUR SOUTHLAKE DENTISTS:

As a native Texan, Dr. Gregory Wright opened his private practice in Southlake, TX in 1992. He and Dr. Victoria Heron are happily accepting new patients from Southlake, Grapevine, Keller, Trophy Club, Colleyville, and all surrounding communities. To learn more, call our office today at (817) 481-7999.