{"id":554,"date":"2018-11-30T20:29:57","date_gmt":"2018-11-30T20:29:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jbdentist.com\/blog\/?p=554"},"modified":"2018-12-17T20:33:56","modified_gmt":"2018-12-17T20:33:56","slug":"root-canal-therapy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jbdentist.com\/blog\/2018\/11\/30\/root-canal-therapy\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is Root Canal Therapy? Are There Any Alternative Treatments?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-555\" src=\"https:\/\/www.jbdentist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/dental-patient-with-toothache-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"dental patient with toothache\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.jbdentist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/dental-patient-with-toothache-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.jbdentist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/dental-patient-with-toothache-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.jbdentist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/dental-patient-with-toothache-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.jbdentist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/dental-patient-with-toothache.jpg 1429w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>If the words \u201croot canal\u201d send shivers down your spine, you\u2019re far from alone. Few dental procedures are as famous \u2014 or infamous \u2014 as root canal therapy. But in fact, this treatment may just be able to save your suffering tooth, relieve your pain, and help you once again enjoy a worry-free smile. Let\u2019s talk more about root canal therapy so you can learn what it is, what it can accomplish, and whether there are any alternative treatments.<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<h2>How Root Canal Therapy Works<\/h2>\n<p>The root canal is the chamber inside the root of a tooth that holds the nerves and the pulp. When this area suffers damage or infection, the result can be a severe toothache and an increased risk of systemic illness. Some common signs that point toward the need for root canal therapy include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A tooth is darker than the ones around it<\/li>\n<li>The gums are swollen or red<\/li>\n<li>A tooth is extremely sensitive to hot and cold temperatures<\/li>\n<li>There is a dull ache or &#8220;pulsing&#8221; sensation in a tooth<\/li>\n<li>There is pain when you bite down<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>During root canal therapy, an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jbdentist.com\/emergency-dentistry.html\">emergency dentist<\/a> gently cleans out the damaged area and removes the tooth\u2019s nerve. Then, they fill in the tooth with a special biocompatible material. Often, it\u2019s necessary to place a crown after the procedure in order to protect the tooth from further damage.<\/p>\n<p>Although root canal therapy has a bad reputation, it\u2019s really nothing to be afraid of! Thanks to anesthesia and sedation, patients are usually very comfortable throughout the procedure. A bit of soreness and swelling is normal following root canal therapy, but such issues usually dissipate within a few days.<\/p>\n<h2>Is Extraction a Viable Alternative to Root Canal Therapy?<\/h2>\n<p>If the prospect of root canal therapy makes you a little uneasy, you may be tempted to choose an alternative treatment \u2014 extraction. Simply removing an infected tooth can relieve your pain and stop an infection from spreading. However, it is <em>always <\/em>best to try to save a tooth if possible. That\u2019s because:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>An empty space in your mouth can lead to a misaligned bite.<\/li>\n<li>When you lose a tooth, the bone that once supported it begins to deteriorate.<\/li>\n<li>Even a single missing tooth can make it inconvenient to eat all of your favorite foods.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In some cases, a tooth is so badly damaged that there is no choice but to extract it. If that happens to you, you should begin to consider tooth replacement options right away. A dental bridge is a reliable way to fill in the gap, but <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jbdentist.com\/dental-implant-restorations.html\">dental implants<\/a> are an even better option. An implant is a small titanium cylinder that serves as a substitute for a tooth\u2019s root; a custom-made crown goes on top of it. This type of tooth replacement is the strongest, longest-lasting way to recomplete your smile.<\/p>\n<p>If you ever believe you may need root canal therapy, visit your dentist right away! Hopefully, they will be able to save your tooth and get you on the road to recovery in no time at all.<\/p>\n<p><strong>About the Author<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Dr. Joanne Bancroft is an experienced dentist who handles each case with genuine compassion. She offers emergency services, dental implant restorations, and a wide range of other services that aim to help her patients enjoy healthy, pain-free smiles. To learn more about her and the treatments she can provide, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jbdentist.com\/contact.html\">contact our office<\/a> at 720-458-6561.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If the words \u201croot canal\u201d send shivers down your spine, you\u2019re far from alone. Few dental procedures are as famous \u2014 or infamous \u2014 as root canal therapy. But in fact, this treatment may just be able to save your suffering tooth, relieve your pain, and help you once again enjoy a worry-free smile. Let\u2019s [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-554","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>What Is Root Canal Therapy? Are There Any Alternative Treatments?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn what root canal therapy is, how it can save a suffering tooth, and whether there are any reliable alternative treatments.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jbdentist.com\/blog\/2018\/11\/30\/root-canal-therapy\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"What Is Root Canal Therapy? 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