Good Dental Care: It Doesn't Have to Break Your Budget

3 Benefits Of Having A Root Canal Instead Of An Extraction

If you are experiencing dental pain, you may be a good candidate for a root canal. Dental symptoms that indicate a possible infection and dental nerve inflammation can indicate the need for an endodontic procedure or extraction. They include a pimple-like bump or swelling on the gums, dental sensitivity to temperature changes, throbbing tooth pain, foul odors from the mouth and fluid leaking from the gums around the affected tooth.

A root canal is an endodontic procedure in which the interior living contents or pulp of a tooth are removed. Once the root canal has been completed, the tooth is disinfected, filled and covered by a dental crown. Here are a few benefits of having a root canal instead of having a tooth extracted:

Chewing Abilities

An extraction may relieve the pain associated with a tooth, but it still leaves you with a space in your mouth. Regardless of the location of the tooth in your palate, its function as an incisor, premolar or molar is no longer available. 

A root canal allows your tooth to remain in place, and its structural integrity is reinforced by the filling and the crown. As a result, other than being pain-free, your chewing abilities should be no different than they were before the endodontic procedure. 

Appearance

If the tooth is located toward the front of your mouth, it is probably visible when you speak, smile or laugh. The gap that is left by the tooth's removal will negatively affect your appearance. 

Even if the tooth is positioned toward the back of your mouth, there is an aesthetic impact. Your teeth support your jaws and keep your face from having a sunken appearance.

After a root canal, a naturally shaped dental crown that matches the color of your other teeth is placed. Your appearance may even be improved if the affected tooth had an odd shape or spots of discoloration prior to the procedure.

Alignment

Your teeth naturally shift over time. However, if there is a gap or space left in your mouth, the shifting can be more substantial. Formerly straight teeth can become crooked or misaligned. A root canal allows your tooth to remain a placeholder for the teeth adjacent to it.

A root canal allows you to keep a tooth that would otherwise need to be extracted. If you are experiencing painful dental symptoms, schedule an appointment with a dentist such as Paul Dona DDS


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