Saving a sick or dying tooth.

The Problem:

• Infected or sick tooth due to decay or traumatic injury

• Chronic sensitive tooth pain from contact with hot and cold food or drink

• Pain from pressure or chewing food

• Danger of infection spreading

Treatment Nature:

Inside each tooth is a soft tissue cavity called pulp chamber that contains the nerves and blood supply for the tooth. When the pulp becomes infected or inflammation due to decay or injury to the tooth, the pulp tissue should be removed from the center of the tooth and the canals of each root. Once the infected pulp tissue is removed, the remaining chamber is filled with a corresponding material to seal it off.

Advantages:

Root canal therapy is an excellent way and the most effective way to save a natural tooth that would otherwise developing with pathological change or persisting painful and need to be removed.

Disadvantages and possible complications:

All teeth have had root canal therapy with the pulp removed that will cause tooth more susceptible to fracture and discolored to greyish-brown. Usually the tooth will be suggested to be protected with a tooth-like artificial covering known as a crown (see crown section.) 

Possible complications of root canal treatment include persisting pain and infection during or after treatment, tooth fracture and broken instrument inside root canals.

On rare occasions, however, root canal therapy may need to be redone to ensure that all of the infection has been removed. 

On very rare occasions, however, failure of root canal therapy may still happen and the tooth need to be extracted.

In some complicated case, root canal treatment should be done by specialist, endodontist.

Alternative:

The only real alternative for pulp involved sick tooth is extraction. However, this will require a dental implant or bridge or denture to replace the extracted tooth and fill the empty space to prevent the shifting of surrounding teeth. These solutions may ultimately cost more than the root canal therapy in some case, and artificial tooth replacement will never equal the quality of keeping your natural tooth.