WHAT IS ROOT CANAL TREATMENT AND HOW TO AVOID IT?

Inside each tooth is soft tissue called, “the pulp”, which runs through canals in the roots of the teeth and provides nutrients and nerves to the tooth.  If the pulp is diseased or injured, the pulp tissue dies.  The most common cause of pulp death is a deep cavity or a cracked tooth.  Both of these problems can let bacteria enter the pulp. So, if you don’t remove the  bacteria, your tooth gets infected and you could lose it.  Root canal treatment is the process of removing this diseased pulp, sterilizing the inside canals of the tooth and sealing off this area with a root canal filling material.

The remaining structure of your tooth often will need a “post and core” to rebuild the core of the tooth and then a crown built over the tooth to strengthen the tooth.  Modern root canal treatment is usually done in one visit and is painless.  The unpredictable painful root canal treatment of the past, often referred to by comedians is truly a thing of the past. 

It is usually worth saving a tooth with root canal treatment because extracting a tooth will lead to more involved and expensive dentistry (bridgework or implants). Extracting a tooth without replacing it will lead to bite problems, shifting of other teeth, more biting forces on remaining  teeth, increased risk of TMJ or TMD,  and increased tooth loss of other teeth. Modern root canal treatment can save teeth that often needed extraction in the past.

Root canal treatment can be avoided by regular checkups to catch decay before it gets too deep, keeping your old fillings updated to maintain their seal, a balanced diet without excess sugars or acids and proper daily homecare with brushing and flossing. Now that dental offices have opened since closing for the pandemic,  it’s urgent to have checkups with xrays to make sure you have no decay under old fillings or new decay. Decay is silent until it approaches the nerve so if you wait until you fell something, you may already need a root canal instead of a simple filling! Prevention pays for itself so call for a checkup and cleaning today!

For more information, you can contact Dr. Michael Krochak at

drk@nycsmilespa.com

NYC Smile Spa

30 E. 60th St., Rm 1201

New York, NY 10022

(212) 838-2900

Relax and smile!