Much like the state of your tooth infection, treatment for tooth decay scales up as the condition grows more serious. What might only be a cavity at one point can quickly become a much more severe form of tooth infection, affecting the tissues inside of the tooth’s inner chamber and root canal. When this occurs, the increased discomfort in the tooth can be a warning sign that it’s in serious danger. If so, then root canal treatment might be the best solution for saving the tooth, if you seek treatment for it soon enough.

When a tooth is infected inside

Tooth decay is another name for tooth infection, which is the result of harmful oral bacteria and their impact on your natural tooth structure. The infection is a progressive one, meaning it grows increasingly more severe as time goes by. While decay might start at the main crown structure of your tooth, it can progress enough to reach the pulp chamber at the center of the tooth if it’s allowed to. When a tooth becomes infected inside, the decay becomes a much more serious threat, as the nerves, blood vessels, and other soft tissues become directly infected.

How root canal treatment works

Before a tooth becomes internally infected, the decay and cavity that has affected it can often be treated with a more conservative, tooth-colored filling. The process of placing a tooth filling involves cleaning the cavity of infected tooth structure and any lingering harmful oral bacteria, then using customized, biocompatible resin to fill the cavity and restore the tooth’s structure. A root canal procedure is similar; however, removing the infection from within the tooth’s inner structures is more complex. Once the tissues and nerves are removed, we can fill the cleaned-out pulp chamber and root canal with strong, biocompatible material.

The future health and integrity of your tooth

Removing severe infection from within your tooth can save it from being compromised any further. However, the tooth structure that remains can still be compromised and made less structurally sound due to the removal of the tissues and the erosion caused by the tooth decay. To help secure the health and integrity of the tooth after your root canal treatment, you may benefit from having a custom-designed dental crown placed over it.

Learn if root canal treatment can save your tooth

Root canal treatment is designed to address more serious cases of tooth decay, and as such, it could be an important step in saving your tooth. To learn more, schedule a consultation by calling the Dental Centre of Conroe in Conroe, TX, today at (936) 441-4600. We serve patients from Conroe and all neighboring communities.