Nothing is more annoying than doing everything in your preventive routinely correctly just to endure a noticeable chip or crack that tarnishes your entire smile. Well, nothing except for serious disease and infection. Indeed, dental decay is one of the most common oral health concerns out there, affecting millions of individuals every year. What’s more? Failing to seek treatment in a timely fashion can end up costing your smile significantly. In today’s blog, your Pella, IA dentist takes a look at the way infection can destroy the integrity of a tooth, and how your last chance to salvage the structure might require root canal therapy.
As Decay Progresses
Dental decay is a process that involves breaking down your healthy oral structures and causing infection to spread. Indeed, most cases begin with oral bacteria that have lurked in the recesses of the mouth and have been able to thrive mostly protected. Here, they feed off of the foods and beverages you consume, causing them to secrete harmful acids that weaken your teeth.
Before long, cavities will begin to form. While these are often easily treated with a simple composite resin filling, the longer you wait, the less effective treatment will be. For instance, if the infection claims a significant portion of your tooth, there is a chance that your filling will fail because there is not enough healthy structure to support the restoration.
Additionally, you will begin to experience sharp or shooting pains and overall sensitivity as the infection spreads deeper. This is because decay works its way into your tooth, where it causes damage to your dental pulp and nerves contained in your roots. To learn more about this process, reach out to our team today.
Rising Functional Difficulty
Not only do you begin to experience pain when your decay spreads, but you will have trouble with routine functions as well. For instance, you use your structures to speak, bite, chew, and eat every day. When they become sensitive and painful to the touch, however, accomplishing these tasks is no longer simple.
This process begins to impact your ability to consume the necessary nutrients your body needs to remain healthy. What’s more? Even speaking can become more of a chore than it needs to be. To learn more about this process, reach out to our team.
Your Last Chance
The last thing your dentist wants is for you to lose a natural tooth, and fortunately, that is where a root canal procedure comes in to help. During this process, your dentist will remove the decaying portions of pulp and clean the area, then he will apply a dental material to help fill and reinforce the hollow root canals. Finally, a crown is placed on top to promote proper healing, and you are good to go.
Learn More Today
Contact Allen & Neumann Family Dentistry in Pella, IA by calling 641-628-1121 to learn more about your restorative dental options, or to schedule your next appointment with our team today.