Your permanent teeth are meant to fulfill their functions throughout your entire adult life, but that is not always the reality. If your oral health has been compromised by a broken, decaying, and damaged tooth, you have a few options to eliminate your pain and restore your dental wellness. It is possible that your tooth could be treated with a root canal in order to keep that tooth in your mouth without further damage. If a root canal is not a plausible option, you may need to have your tooth extracted.
When Can a Root Canal Save a Tooth?
A root canal is often necessary when a tooth becomes deeply infected and inflamed due to dental decay. A root canal prevents further damage by removing the infected nerve and pulp out of the center of the tooth. Once that soft tissue is removed, your dentist cleans the space, fills it with a material called gutta percha, and seals the top to prevent bacteria from entering. [Read more…]