Treating Internal Tooth Decay
When you wait to treat tooth decay, or when the inner pulp and root canal of your tooth are exposed to oral bacteria, a tooth filling might not be the best option for treating it. Severe, internal tooth decay affects more than the main structure of your tooth crown, which tooth fillings are designed to restore. Instead, we can perform root canal treatment to carefully remove the infection from within your tooth’s inner chambers. Also referred to as endodontic treatment, the procedure also involves filling these structures to restore and reinforce the tooth.
Why root canal treatment is needed
Root canal treatment is more involved than a conservative tooth filling procedure, and is only recommended when a tooth’s pulp is compromised. This chamber houses the tooth’s nerves, blood vessels, and other soft tissues, which travel through the root canal and into your jawbone. The treatment is recommended when these structures and tissues are threatened by infection, such as when:
- You wait to get a tooth filling – The tooth decay that causes cavities grows worse the longer you wait to treat it. If we notice a cavity and you wait to treat it with a tooth filling, then it can progress to the pulp and require root canal treatment by the time you do seek treatment.
- Your tooth becomes fractured or broken – When your tooth’s crown fractures or breaks enough to expose its pulp chamber, the tissues inside can become infected even if you didn’t previously have a cavity. Before restoring your tooth with a dental crown, we might recommend performing root canal treatment to avoid internal tooth decay.
- Your tooth filling failed – If you’ve previously had a filling placed to treat a cavity, but it fails due to changes to its shape over time, then the tooth may become infected once again. If so, then root canal treatment might be necessary to save and restore the tooth once again.
Save your tooth with root canal treatment
Internal tooth decay can be a serious threat to your tooth, but we may be able to save it with root canal (or endodontic) treatment. To learn more about the value of root canal treatment, schedule a restorative dentistry consultation by calling Rodem Tree Dental in Rowlett, TX, today at 972-475-2321. We also proudly serve patients who live in Rockwall, Garland, Mesquite, Wylie, Sachse, and all surrounding communities.