Root Canal Treatment is SAFE Viewpoint
Root canal treatment has been
practiced for over 70 years, and is a recognized specialty by the
American Dental Association. The purpose of root canal therapy is
to keep a tooth by mechanically removing the source of infection
from inside the tooth, which then enables the body to naturally
remove the infection, usually an abscess, located at the end of
the tooth. Infections create variable symptoms of pain and
swelling, ranging from none to severe, so the number of visits
required to treat the tooth is dependent upon how the body reacts
after each visit. It normally takes 1-2 visits, but it could take
more. Today, there are a number of new techniques and materials
that are much better at completely cleaning out and filling the
inside of a tooth. Ask your dentist about the newer thermoplastic
techniques.
Once it is determined that
treatment is successful, the tooth needs either a filling or a
crown to protect it from possible future breakage, because root
canal filled teeth are brittle. It is estimated 24 million teeth
are treated per year with root canal therapy. If the teeth were
instead removed, the options of replacing them are usually more
costly and less natural. Those options include implants, cemented
on bridges, or removable partial dentures.
For more information, call the
American Dental Association at (312) 440-2500 or the Academy of
General Dentistry at (312) 440-4300.
NOTE: There are some
dentists who think that if a root canal procedure is done with
a material called Biocalex 6.9, it may not have the negative side-effects
of a conventional root canal procedure. Information about Biocalex
6.9 can be obtain from Bio-Probe,
Inc. at (407) 290-9670.
Many thanks to Ron King,
DDS, Minneapolis, MN
Additional Reading:
Root Canal Cover-Up
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