Dental pulp is located in the centre of the tooth under protection of two hard layers – enamel and dentin. However, there are cases that the dental pulp is exposed and infected. Root canal treatment is a valuable chance that helps save your natural tooth. This is also the reason why root canal is needed.
When is root canal needed?
Dental pulp is the softest part of one tooth structure that comprises nerves and blood cells. Once the dental pulp gets inflamed or infected, root canal is needed to stop the spreading of infection. If left untreated, inflammation expands along the nerves and blood cells, which generates abscess, pus formation in surrounding areas. In a few cases, infection occurs on neighboring teeth is unavoidable.
Exposure of dental pulp to bacteria is the primary cause of pulp inflammation. Uncovering dental pulp may be the consequence of:
- Fractured, chipped or broken teeth
- Tooth decay destroys enamel, dentin, then go deeper to the pulp
- Trauma, repetitive dental treatment
Should all dental pulp be removed in root canal procedure?
Once the dental pulp is infected, it must be removed completely. If not, the harmful bacteria or infected tissues left will continue its march along nerves and blood cells to the tooth root. This leads to serious destruction of surrounding areas and damage of other teeth. The worst scenario is mass teeth loss. Treatment costs may increase dramatically.
Why is root canal necessary?
The most important purpose of root canal is to preserve natural teeth for the patients. Patients may encounter numerous consequence following teeth loss. The gaps of missing teeth cause displacement of existing neighboring teeth, which is a huge obstacle in chewing and speaking. The drifting of teeth makes it hard to practice proper oral hygiene so patients are likely to get gum diseases.
No teeth are better than your natural teeth. Preserving your natural teeth not only brings benefit to your dental health, self esteem but also helps saving much money on teeth replacement and maintenance. This is convincing explanation for the question “Why is root canal needed?”
