Answering A Couple Of Common Root Canal Questions

When you are unfortunate enough to suffer from a serious dental problem, it is important for you to be aware of the assortment of treatments and procedures that can be used to address these issues. Sadly, it is common for patients to be relatively poorly informed about their dental treatment options, which can make it difficult for them to make sound choices for their needs. In particular, root canals can be among the more misunderstood dental treatments. If you have a limited understanding about this routine procedure, you may benefit from the following couple of answers to common root canal questions.

Why Would You Need To Undergo A Root Canal?

An infected tooth can be a very painful condition for you to experience. There are some patients that assume teeth with this problem will have to be removed to alleviate the pain and clear the infection. Fortunately, this does not have to be the case because a root canal is designed to thoroughly remove any infected tissue from within the tooth. This is done by drilling a small hole in the top of the tooth before gently removing any diseased tissue before a crown is placed on the exterior. By opting for this treatment approach, you may be able to avoid needing to have the damaged tooth extracted.

Will The Same Tooth Every Need A Second Root Canal?

While undergoing a root canal can be an excellent way of saving your damaged tooth, these procedures can be rather painful. As a result, it is common for patients to wonder whether this procedure will ever need to be done to the same tooth. For most patients, the root canal will effectively remove the infection from the tooth. However, there can be instances where the infection returns. Often, this occurs due to the dentist missing a small portion of compromised tissue or the patient failing to follow their recovery instructions. To help keep your risks of this problem from returning, you should make sure to exactly follow the cleaning and care instructions that the dentist will provide after the root canal.

When you are battling to save an infected tooth, it is important for you to know the full range of treatments that may be employed by your dentist. In particular, root canals can be highly effective ways of addressing this type of dental issue, and if you understand the benefits of this procedure as well as the steps for reducing the risk of the infection returning, you will be a better prepared dental patient when you are having this problem treated.