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Root Canal Therapy
Saving a tooth due to a pulpal infection.
Do You Have This
Pain to hot and cold liquids
Pain due to an infected pulp chamber
Pain when eating or biting
Infection spreading through the tooth and into the body
The Solution
Pain is caused from the nerve being exposed to the oral environment or infection. In order to save the tooth, the infected nerve and other pulp tissue must be removed and the remaining chamber in the tooth must be cleaned and sealed away from the body.
By removing the nerve inside the tooth and sealing the residual chamber, the tooth will not be able to detect hot/cold pain and an infection will not be able to travel through the tooth and into the jaw bone to create an abcess.
The Advantage
A root canal will stop the pain, remove the infection, and save the tooth. Saving the tooth also allows the most esthetic tooth replacement: a crown. Even without the pulp and nerve tissue, the body is still able to sustain the tooth and allow it to function normally.
The Disadvantage
Root canals are an additional cost to a crown, but it is the best way to esthetically replace and save the tooth.
The Alternatives
The only alternative is to remove (extract) the tooth. If the tooth is removed, then the tooth may be replaced with a dental implant or dental bridge. The cost is more for a dental implant and dental bridge. Opt for the root canal if the tooth can be saved. If not, then a dental implant or dental bridge are the only options to replace the tooth.
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