What is root canal therapy or root canal treatment in Palm Beach, Fl? Root canal treatment is comprised of a series of dental procedures that specifically treat conditions of the pulp tissue – also known as the soft nerve tissue –inside the tooth.
That sounds painful….is it? For reasons that aren’t clearly known, root canal therapy has gotten a bad reputation as being a painful procedure. But in reality, the treatment is very similar to receiving a dental filling in Palm Beach.
Why would someone need root canal therapy? One of the best reasons to receive root canal therapy is to eliminate pain that you may be experiencing from a damaged or decayed tooth. But beyond that, from a restorative perspective, a root canal can salvage a tooth to keep it from having to be removed. Removal of a tooth should always be considered the last option in dental health.
Can you explain what root canals are? Sure. A root canal is merely a tiny passageway that branches from the top of the tooth downward into the tip of the root. Every tooth has between one to four root canals, and the number of canals for your tooth will be determined by diagnostics during the procedure.
What are the most common reasons patients have root canal therapy? Although treatment is different for each individual patient, some of the most common reasons for root canal treatment in Palm Beach include the elimination of pain from a severe tooth infection, repair of a chipped or cracked tooth, a traumatic injury to the tooth that has now compromised the tooth’s pulp, or the need for extreme dental work such as multiple fillings in the same tooth.
What else do I need to know about root canal therapy? As mentioned, the goal of dentistry is to always save a natural tooth whenever possible. While tooth extraction is sometimes chosen over other options, it’s important to know that a dental extraction can eventually lead to new dental problems such as shifting teeth and the need for a more costly procedure down the road – a dental implant.
Ready to learn more about root canals in Palm Beach? Call Dr. Mitchell Josephs today!