Categories: Restorative Dentistry

Treating Internal Decay

While nobody wants their smile to become blemished with a variety of noticeable concerns, sometimes threats to your oral health can cause problems below the surface without your knowledge. In fact, decay can spread inside a tooth and essentially rot it from the outside-in, significantly impacting your oral function as well as appearance. In today’s blog, your Pella, IA dentist will take a look at circumstances when this occurs, and how your tooth may be salvageable with a root canal treatment.

Damage Caused by Bacteria

Whether you are aware of it or not, bacteria are often the source of a majority of the dental concerns the average person may run into. This is true of decay, as it occurs due to harmful bacteria secreting harmful acids on and around your teeth. In its earliest stages, decay typically presents itself as a small hole on your tooth known as a cavity. Cavities are relatively harmless if addressed early on with a composite resin filling after it has been cleaned. If it is left unchecked, however, the decay will spread and become much worse.

When decay spreads, it begins with the outside of an oral structure and attempts to work its way in. When allowed to progress, the bacteria begin to target your inner dental pulp and nerves. In other words, you will begin to experience symptoms and side effects such as sensitivity, sharp pains or aches, and even some difficulty in function. If you are experiencing any one of these signs, it is imperative you contact our team immediately.

Spreading from the Outside-In

As the decay continues to spread, significant damage can occur to your nerves and inner dental pulp. This will inevitably cause the structure to become injured and unable to perform as it should. Fortunately, all hope is not yet lost as restorative dentistry can help.

Procedures such as root canal therapy allow our team to remove the infected portions of your teeth and subsequently fill the open canals with a dental material. To complete the process, we will craft a custom crown to place atop the structure in order to encourage adequate healing. For more information about this process, reach out to our team today.

Preserving Your Tooth Before it’s too Late

The last thing that you or your dentist wants is for you to lose a structure. In fact, your adult teeth are permanent, so once they are gone, they are gone for good. Restorative dentistry allows our team to address these concerns so that you do not need to resort to extraction, allowing you to preserve the integrity of your smile.