Root Canal Treatment : Facts About Aftercare
Root canal treatment is an advanced form of dental treatment aimed at saving a tooth which may otherwise be lost as it may have been affected adversely by dental caries and decay, damage or injury
Saving and preserving your teeth rather than losing them is a natural choice for obvious reasons; Functionally, your own teeth will be stronger and work better for eating, biting and chewing and cosmetically, gaps and lost teeth are not a great look!
Should your tooth or teeth require root canal treatment, it is not without some risks and the outcome from the treatment cannot always be guaranteed.
Some of the possible pitfalls that may arise are:
- The treated tooth may still be lost at some point in the future as it is impossible to predict the long treatment prognosis of any tooth which has undergone root canal treatment. Factors such as an individual’s healing capacity, oral health and the strength of the remaining tooth structure will influence longevity of the treated tooth.
- The risks of re-infection after an infected tooth have been treated with root canal treatment are slim; however, if it does occur, the tooth will require further treatment or extraction.
- Treated teeth can become discoloured or darken following root canal treatment.
- This can be addressed with treatments such as teeth whitening to reverse tooth discolouration and improve the appearance of your smile.
- Discomfort and toothache may still continue to be present after root canal treatment; Your dentist may prescribe painkillers and/or antibiotics to overcome this but if it remains unresolved, further dental treatment may be required.
- A tooth which has undergone root canal treatment will often require a crown or ‘cap’ to protect it as it may not be as resilient or strong as it was when it was a normal and healthy tooth.
For more information on root canal treatment, visit our website where you can hear some of our patients discuss their dental treatment and recommend a good Derby dentist
View our smile gallery for specialist and cosmetic dentistry treatments carried out by our Derby dentists
