How Root Canal Therapy Can Save Your Smile

How Root Canal Therapy Can Save Your Smile

If you have an infected or inflamed dental pulp, a number of issues can occur, from oral sensitivity and bleeding gums, to even a total loss Root_Canalof your tooth! Fortunately, root canal therapy offered by your St. Louis, MO, dentists, Drs. Jeffery and Jodi Johnson, will relieve your pain and save your tooth—read on to learn how.

 

Root canal therapy treats the source of your pain

During a root canal, your St. Louis dentist opens your tooth and removes the infected or inflamed pulp, making sure afterward to clean the inside of the tooth and disinfect the root canals. Following the procedure, you will then likely leave the office with a temporary filling, which will remain in place for a week or two.

At a followup appointment, your temporary filling will then be replaced with a permanent one. Removing the pulp can weaken your tooth, particularly if the tooth is a pre-molar or molar, so your dentist will probably recommend adding a crown to the tooth to strengthen and protect it.

 

Treatment helps you avoid tooth loss

Tooth loss is an unavoidable consequence of pulp infection/inflammation if you don't receive a root canal. Lost teeth alter your appearance, make chewing difficult, and might even affect your ability to pronounce certain sounds clearly.

Losing a tooth may also affect other teeth. Nearby teeth may begin to drift toward the gap in your mouth in an attempt to close it, ruining your perfect smile. Changes in alignment can cause bite problems or headaches and make removing plaque more difficult. Root canal therapy not only saves your tooth but helps you avoid these issues.

 

Do you have any of these signs and symptoms?

Common signs of a pulp inflammation or infection may include:

  • Pain ranging from mild to severe
  • Sensitivity after eating or drinking hot, cold, or sugary foods/beverages
  • Red, swollen gums
  • A change in the color of your tooth
  • Abscess symptoms, which may include severe pain, fever, swollen lymph nodes, pus around the tooth, and facial swelling

 

Concerned? Give us a call

Protect your smile with root canal therapy! Call your St. Louis, MO, dentists, Drs. Jeffery and Jodi Johnson, at (317) 427-7400 to schedule an appointment.

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