Root Canal Treatment
There are a few options available to a patient when a tooth becomes badly decayed or infected. Extracting the affected tooth offers inexpensive and fast relief but comes with the cost of permanently losing the tooth.
Missing teeth may then need to be replaced with a denture, bridge or implant. It is usually ideal to retain your natural teeth, if possible, and root canal treatment allows patients the option save their teeth in an effective manner.
Also known as Endodontic treatment, root canal therapy aims to remove the cause of infection deep within the unhealthy tooth. The root canal is thoroughly cleaned and the pulp is removed in the process, eliminating the infection.
The root canal is then filled with a biocompatible material which helps protect it from future microbial invasion. As a result, patients are able to retain their perfect smile without the compromise of losing one’s tooth.
One of the main concerns patients have when it comes to root canal is the removal of the pulp itself. The pulp is comprised of blood vessels, nerves, and connective tissue which play an important role in root development during the growth phase of the tooth.
Patients who may be concerned that removing the pulp may lead to complications should be assured that a fully developed tooth can survive without the pulp as the tissues around the tooth are able to nourish it.
However, it must be noted that root canal treated teeth may become more brittle as well as weakened due to the loss of tooth structure from the decay and root canal procedure.
Therefore, it is always important to consider the final restoration. In most cases, root canal treated teeth require a crown to be placed afterwards, but a discussion with your dentist will be able to give you all the options.
The cost of the treatment is another factor which needs to be considered. Patients can expect treatment to cost approximately $500 to $1,000 for root canal therapy per tooth.
This does not include any additional treatment required, such as a post and core or the final restoration, which is required to strengthen the tooth. This may make root canal therapy more expensive than taking the tooth out.
Two or three appointments are usually required to complete the root canal treatment.
Many patients find root canal therapy worthy of their time and money as the overall benefits outweigh the cost. Patients are able to preserve their natural teeth and therefore do not need to worry about replacement options such as dentures or implants.
If you are considering getting a root canal procedure, make sure to find a reliable and trusted dental clinic to help you with your endeavours especially since the treatment itself is considered to be expensive.
It is also important that you cooperate with your dentist and attend regular check ups in order to avoid the need for root canal treatment in the first place.
With the help of modern technology, it is now relatively easy to schedule a dental appointment at any given time when the need calls for you to do so. Reserve your dental appointment today!