Understanding the benefits of a root canal
Most of the time your teeth and gums will not cause you any problems or difficulties so long as you are taking care of them in the recommended way, this means brushing them twice a day with good-quality toothpaste and flossing. However, there is always a chance that you could develop an issue that needs immediate treatment in order to allow you to feel comfortable. If you have ever suffered from a sudden and severe toothache then you will know just how uncomfortable it can make your life feel.
Of course, there is often an easily identifiable problem that causes you to suffer a severe toothache that can be seen and diagnosed during a simple oral examination and this can then lead to a course of treatment to resolve the issue for you; an example would be a filling coming loose or a tooth suffering with a chip.
In cases where no physical damage to your teeth can be identified, we may have to check for an infection or abscess which may be treatable with antibiotics. However, if the infection is on the inside of your tooth or teeth then we may need to use a very different course of treatment.
At Edinburgh Endodontist we are aware that many people do not like to think of themselves as needing a root canal Edinburgh, let’s be honest even the words fill some people with a feeling of dread or fear. However, there are times when this may be the only course of treatment available to resolve an issue a patient is experiencing, as an infection has gone deep into the inner chamber of a tooth and could be putting the tooth and others surrounding it at risk of being lost.
The use of this treatment
Inside each of your teeth is an inner chamber that holds a substance that is referred to as the pulp of the tooth. The part of the tooth that we can see is the outer enamel shell that creates a tough layer that protects the inner parts that make up the tooth. The pulp is used to help feed the tooth with the nutrients it will need while growing, once the roots of the tooth are in place this pulp is no longer as important as the roots can draw any nutrients needed from the body.
If you have a severe infection that reaches the pulp it may become inflamed and cause you to experience extreme tooth pain, this may then need to be treated with a root canal Edinburgh in order to clear the infection from the pulp and inner chamber of the tooth.
The signs that the pulp of your tooth may be infected or damaged are pain, prolonged and lingering sensitivity to hot or cold stimuli, discolouration of the tooth, and swelling and tenderness in the nearby gums. If you have any of these symptoms or warning signs we would advise you to seek attention from our dentist as soon as possible, as if you do have an infected tooth there will be a need to prevent the infection from spreading to other teeth.
Final thought
Should you ever find that you need treatment with a root canal Edinburgh we would ask you not to be too concerned, as this is a very misunderstood treatment that many people have the wrong idea about. At the end of the day, this is a treatment that is designed to make you feel better and which will save your tooth for years to come.