Each of our teeth is secured firmly to the jaw bone by one or more roots which contain a mass of blood vessels and nerves otherwise called the pulp. A root canal treatment is done when this pulp gets infected by microorganisms; this can happen when there is sudden trauma or injury to the tooth or due to tooth decay or cavity which is left untreated. Sometimes the pulp also gets infected when the tooth filling has cracked or fallen off due to wear and tear.
In a typical root canal procedure, the tooth pulp is removed completely and the gap is filled with an inert material to prevent chances of any future infection. Following this therapy, the tooth becomes dead as it does not contain any blood vessels and nerves. The advantage of this procedure is that this is the only way by which you can retain the original tooth. The only other way to stop the spread of infection to the other teeth is by extracting the infected tooth which is not advisable. It is always best to retain all the natural teeth for optimum oral health and tooth extraction should only be considered as a last resort.
Root canal therapies are a little expensive as the procedure is complex, labour and time intensive. It would approximately cost three hundred dollars for a single root and can increase depend on the number of roots and other complications involved. In addition, you may also have to spend for medications and dental X-ray. In spite of the costs, it is very important to undergo this treatment as an infected tooth pulp can cause extreme pain and if not treated immediately can affect the other teeth too. So, it is best if a root canal treatment is done right at the beginning as soon as you feel pain or notice the symptoms.
Do not think of this procedure as a cosmetic one; it is indeed necessary to maintain good oral health and hygiene.
Posts Tagged ‘root canal treatment’
Root Canal Treatment – Advantages and the Costs Involved at a Leeds dental practice
Monday, September 27th, 2010City of Leeds Dentist Advises Parents to Avoid Unnecessary Pulpotomy in Their Children’s Teeth
Sunday, September 26th, 2010
Getting complicated dental procedures done is no longer the preserve of adults. It is extremely unfortunate that even children have to undergo difficult dental procedures because the incidence of dental caries among very little children is on the rise. This can very clearly be attributed to parental carelessness in allowing them to eat a lot of sugary foods and to a neglect of their oral hygiene.
Very simply put, a pulpotomy can be describes as a root canal for children. It is an invasive and long drawn out procedure, but it manages to stem the rot of very large caries. These days, it is very common to see even preschoolers in a dentist’s office, waiting to have this procedure done on them. Dental caries, once they have developed in a child’s teeth, cannot be neglected because it will result in the child being unable to chew food very well. The ch.ild will also not be able to sleep well due to the pain. On the whole, the child will not thrive
A City of Leeds dentist says that this is absolutely unnecessary in the sense that the parents of these children should not have let things get this bad. These procedures put a child through a lot of discomfort that could be easily avoided if the child had learnt and practiced good oral hygiene from a very early age on.
It is never too late to make a start. Children can be made to practice good oral hygiene with their parents setting a good example for them
Leeds Dentist Cautions against Neglecting Dental Cavities
Sunday, August 22nd, 2010
A very popular Leeds dentist spoke up about the way the average person neglects their teeth. Dental cavities are a case in point. They are also known as caries and they are one of the most common ailments that humans suffer from. What starts off as a very small cavity can deteriorate with neglect and result in a lot of problems for you. Not only will you experience a lot of discomfort, you will also end up paying a lot of money for expensive treatments that are expensive in addition to being painful.
For starters, a bad tooth can cause you to have bad breath because it will be a place where food particles get lodged. You will find it almost impossible to clean it out and the food will remain there for long periods. The tooth can also get infected, leaving you with an abscess. A tooth with a large cavity will also cause you a lot of pain since the nerve endings will not have a protective cover of enamel. You will find it very difficult to eat or drink very hot or cold foods.
The dentist cautions against neglecting this particular problem because you will have to address it anyway in the end, by which time it would have become quite a big problem. What could have been fixed with a small and inexpensive filling will not have to be corrected with a root canal treatment or in some cases, dental surgery. In extreme cases, you can even lose the entire tooth.
Dental Caps Are Very Easy To Fix, According To Leeds Dentist
Saturday, August 21st, 2010
Dental caps are probably the most used treatment for teeth, after dental fillings of course, because they can be used for a wide range of applications. A dental cap, also known as a crown, is nothing more than a shell that is placed on top of the tooth or an implant. It is cemented to the existing tooth or any other base so that it cannot be removed, except of course by the dentist. In effect, a dental cap is exactly like a tooth except that it is made of an artificial substance. A Leeds dental clinic specializes in offering this treatment and they use it for a wide variety of reasons.
It can be used in place of a large filling when there is hardly any tooth left to repair. It can also be used to cover a badly shaped tooth or one that is too discoloured to be able to benefit from tooth whitening treatments. Another use is to cover a tooth that has had a root canal treatment. It is also used very often in order to attach a bridge when the teeth on either side of the gap that has to be filled are spaced very far.
Dentists use a wide variety of crowns in order to suit various requirements. The cost of the treatment escalates based upon the quality of the material used, with the most natural looking caps being the most expensive. Most people reserve these caps for front teeth only, for very obvious reasons.
Leeds Dentist Stresses the Importance of Oral Hygiene
Wednesday, August 4th, 2010
A Leeds dentist was talking about the dropping standards of oral hygiene amongst the patients that he sees in his clinic. The unfortunate part is that most people do not know how badly they are affecting their health by neglecting this aspect of their lives.
There is more to oral hygiene than just preventing tooth decay and bad breath. These are certainly two things that can be prevented if you brush your teeth regularly, but lack of oral hygiene can have even worse consequences. At the very least you will have to face bigger dental bills since you will have no option but to go in for procedures such as root canal treatments if your teeth have rotten too much to be saved with a simple filling. Your love life and even profession can suffer as a result of this since people will be put off by your bad breath.
You need to brush your teeth at least twice a day and you also need to keep it clean in between meals at least by rinsing with water. Flossing is also very important, and so is a six month check up with a dentist. Avoid sugary drinks and foods in between meals and never make the mistake of sleeping without cleaning your mouth.
If you do not clean your mouth regularly, plaque will build up, leading to tartar formation which can eventually cause heart disease.
Oral hygiene is very easily done if you are disciplined in your habits. Make these changes before it is too late.
Dentist in Leeds Central Emphasizes the Importance of Regular Dental Check Ups
Friday, July 16th, 2010
A dentist in Leeds Central was talking about the increase in tooth decay and other dental problems that could easily have been avoided. People hate visiting dentists, but the fact is that regular dental check ups are the only way to catch dental problems before they become too big. The dentist can clean teeth while looking out for signs of any problems.
Tooth decay has to be spotted early enough so that it can be sorted out with a small and painless filling. If it is neglected, the decay will only increase, and the tooth can even get infected. Abscesses will be the next thing to happen, and the person will most probably need a root canal treatment. In extreme cases, the person could even lose the infected tooth.
Regular dental check ups are the best way to avoid tooth decay as well as gum disease. Problems like bad breath and bleeding gums can be easily prevented as well. In the long run, neglect of dental health can also lead to heart disease due to the clogging of arteries by dental plaque. The dentist can also give advice on proper brushing techniques.
The practice in Leeds Central offers a solution to this problem by making a visit to the dentist less intimidating. If the atmosphere is more relaxing than normal dental visits and the procedures less stressful, patients would not be so eager to miss their scheduled dental visits. This could save them a good deal of time, money and pain in the long run.
Root Canal work isn`t as bad as it sounds, says a Leeds Central dentist
Tuesday, June 29th, 2010
It sounds like a medieval torture, but a root canal is a really painless and efficient way of freeing a tooth of infection. A Leeds Central dentist explains that a root canal is a very special way of saving a tooth that usually would have been lost. It all comes down to infections, which are usually caused by bad bacteria getting into the inner chamber of the tooth. This can be through infected gums or most likely a crack in the tooth itself, once in there the infection tends to keep coming back. Your dentist needs to get right to the centre of the problem, so they will start off with a little gel on the gums to deaden the sensation of the needle for the local anaesthetic. Then they will drill out the centre of the tooth and it will look like you have a hollow tooth, next will come some scraping of the infected area to get out the root of the bacteria build up. Next they will treat the area with an intense light that kills off any bacteria still lurking around. The hole is then filled in with a specially prepared filler, which contains not just a hard material to replace your enamel, but an anti bacterial formula to keep future infections away. The crack will also disappear and you will be able to use the tooth as soon as the soreness wears off in a few days, the important thing is that the tooth will be saved.
Various treatments for tooth abscess at City of Leeds dentist
Friday, May 14th, 2010
When tooth decay occurs and the protective layer of enamel is removed, the sensitive inner part of the tooth containing the dental nerve and root is exposed to the possibility of infection. If infection does take hold in the tooth, the body will naturally respond by producing an excess of white blood cells to fight it. These cells mix with the infected material to produce a substance called pus (also found in blisters and spots), which builds up in an abscess around the root of the tooth.
Tooth abscesses can be extremely painful and sensitive to hot and cold food. They can make your life pretty miserable and prevent even the most simple of everyday activities such as drinking a cup of tea or eating an ice cream. Tooth abscess are also very dangerous because they can rupture, releasing the infected material into other areas of the mouth and even into the bloodstream, which has links with heart disease and other associated health problems.
There are three main ways to treat an abscessed tooth. The first and most simple is a course of antibiotics from your City of Leeds dentist. This will hopefully fight off the infection and remove the abscess, allowing the tooth and bone to recover on their own in time. Some additional protective work may then be required to protect the tooth from further infection.
If antibiotics are unsuccessful or the infection is already too far gone, the dentist may need to drill down into the tooth and physically remove the infection. This is called a root canal treatment and is often much feared, although probably without due cause as it actually brings an end to the pain of an infection.
Lastly, and the worst-case scenario is that the tooth itself is so badly damaged that it needs to be completely removed. This is far from ideal and will require extensive treatment and then possibly a dental replacement such as an implant to restore the appearance of the teeth.
Prevent painful periodontitis at City of Leeds dentist
Thursday, April 29th, 2010
The two most common problems that affect the health of our teeth are tooth decay and gum disease. Tooth decay is when plaque acid has eroded the protective layer of enamel, exposing the more sensitive central part of the tooth to bacteria and infection. This can result in painful and unpleasant complications and expensive root canal and crown treatment. Most early decay is addressed by fillings, which most people will experience during their lifetime.
Gum disease is slightly less obviously a problem than tooth decay but with nearly all of us standing a good chance of having it at some point in out lives it is very worthwhile to recognise the signs and symptoms and know what to do about it. Gum disease in its mild form is called gingivitis and will usually involve a slight inflammation of the gum tissue. This can be quite sensitive but gingivitis is usually easily treated with improved dental hygiene and treatment from a City of Leeds dentist.
However, if the first signs of gingivitis are not picked up by you, and you are missing your six-monthly check ups with your dentist, the problem could become the more serious periodontitis. This is a much more serious form of gum disease that involves severe inflammation, bleeding of the gums and even recession of the gum tissue. Once gum tissue has been destroyed it will not grow back, so it is vital you receive the necessary treatment as soon as possible.
In some serious cases, periodontitis may involve the need for tissue removal, hospitalisation and even extraction. It will also be very painful and require continued treatment with antibiotics. You can prevent periodontits and all gum disease with improved cleaning and more regular visits to your dentist.
Tooth saved by root canal treatment from Central Leeds dentist
Friday, January 15th, 2010
Few dental procedures are as feared as the root canal treatment but this may be a little unfair to a treatment that can signal an end to enormous amounts of pain. When infections occur in the teeth as a result of decay, it may be that initially you feel little or no pain, but as it worsens it can lead to very painful abscesses and even the complete destruction of the dental nerve. In these circumstances, if a root canal procedure is not carried out it may result in the loss of the tooth altogether.
The procedure itself aims to remove all the infected material from the root canal of the tooth. It is a very skilled procedure involving the dentist’s drill and may involve a number of visits to the dentist. Using the drill, the dentist makes a whole into the root of the tooth so that they can remove all the infected material before thoroughly cleaning the cavity and filling it. It may also be necessary to cap the tooth with a dental crown to prevent any further damage.
Root canal treatments are not necessarily painful as they are almost always performed with anaesthetic. The pain associated with a root canal is more often than not the pain caused by the infection that the treatment aims to remove. Root canal treatments at Central Leeds dentists are usually very successful. There is very little chance of the any long-term damage if the infection is removed as soon as possible.