Many a comedian has used the dreaded root canal as part of their material for a joke, making the case that “even a root canal” isn’t as bad as certain life experiences, from being on an awkward first date to making it through an endless work meeting.
There are times when a root canal is actually a better thing to go through than another dental alternative — tooth extraction.
Dr. Ali Saeghi and the Modern Age Dentistry team offer a full range of services to repair and beautify your smile at their offices in West Hills, Ojai, and Atwater Village, California. They do so by using state-of-the-art dental technology, carefully acquired expertise, and a talent for personal connection with their patients — truly a rare combination.
If your tooth is traumatized or decayed enough, it can cause an incredible amount of pain that’s not merely distracting, it’s the type of discomfort that makes it hard to think about anything else.
Beneath the hard exterior of your tooth is the pulp, your tooth’s “nerve center.” It contains blood vessels, connective tissue, and nerves, all of which allow your tooth’s root to grow. Once your tooth is fully developed, however, it no longer needs your pulp, as the tissue around your tooth nourishes it.
If your tooth’s pulp is severely diseased or your tooth is traumatized by injury, you can experience intense pain as a result, but if you haven’t had an accident, it can be “on again, off again,” sharp, or dull. No matter how these symptoms present, however, none of these scenarios is sustainable.
A root canal procedure involves Dr. Saeghi administering a local anesthetic to numb you, and making a minute opening at the top of your affected tooth, so he can get to that infected pulp material. He then removes the pulp that’s diseased, cleans the area, and dries it. Afterward, he puts a temporary filling in the opening.
After a few weeks, you return to our office so Dr. Saeghi can place a restorative solution, like a crown, so the tooth that received root canal treatment can be fixed “long-term.”
In reality, a root canal, when properly performed as Dr. Saeghi does it, doesn’t cause pain and is a practical solution for a tooth with significant pulp infection, or an injured tooth. In other words, getting a root canal here at Modern Age Dentistry defies all the scary things you’ve heard about the procedure!
It may seem so, but let’s talk a bit about having a permanent gap in your mouth. There are times when a tooth can’t be saved, and it’s simply too decayed or damaged by an accident — really too far gone for preservation.
In these cases, your dentist may recommend an extraction — again using anesthetic so you remain comfortable. They also guide you through aftercare, which includes eating soft foods for a few days after your extraction.
Now that it’s gone, that missing tooth can cause an array of problems:
In short, your dentist isn’t going to want to leave the space where your tooth was empty, and will likely advise a dental implant, removable denture, or other type of restoration.
Because of these complications related to missing teeth, Dr. Saeghi’s preference is always to save your tooth if possible.
The problems that tooth extraction presents include more pain during the recovery period, as well as more monitoring and visits to our office after your procedure, while opting for a root canal, if it’s a feasible choice, means less discomfort and fewer hours spent at our office.
And, if your natural tooth is saved, you don’t have to be concerned with losing a crown or denture-related discomfort.
Regardless of your situation, if you see Dr. Saeghi with tooth pain and infection or trauma, he evaluates carefully what the best treatment option is for you, and always makes every effort to preserve your existing tooth.
Call the Modern Age Dentistry office most convenient to you if you’re suffering from symptoms of an infected tooth, or book an appointment online.
