If the infection has seeped into the tooth's pulp, then root canal therapy becomes unavoidable. On the contrary, fillings can be used instead of a root canal if the tooth has a smaller cavity or a minor decay, which has not yet reached the pulp.
Unlike root canal treatment, fillings can be used for relatively minor decay. Fillings are advantageous because they are relatively cheap, protect your teeth from further damage, and may even prevent you from ever needing a root canal.
Sometimes, a root canal might not be necessary and a patient will only require a filling. Fillings will be recommended if the tooth has a smaller cavity or minor tooth decay that hasn't reached the pulp of the tooth.
Location of the decay: For small cavities on your tooth's surface, your dentist will likely recommend a dental filling. But if the decay has reached the pulp of your tooth and is causing severe tooth sensitivity and pain, you'll need a root canal to prevent an infection.
Dental treatment alternatives to a root canal include direct pulp capping, pulpotomy, pulpectomy, endodontic retreatment, endodontic surgery, tooth extraction, dental implants, bridges, or dentures.
The Consequences of Avoiding a Root Canal
If the infection is concerning and left untreated it can cause you to lose your tooth or part of your jaw or even lead to dental abscesses or a life-threatening stroke, sepsis, or heart attack. As the infection progresses so will the pain which will be excruciating.
The canal is already calcified
Because the body continually tries to heal itself, sometimes a patient does not need a root canal simply because the body already attempted to do its root canal.
Why are root canals necessary? Root canals are a simple procedure that are recommended to save damaged, natural teeth and prevent the need for dental bridges and implants. Root canals are necessary when the pulp, or soft tissue, inside the tooth becomes inflamed or infected, which could lead to an abscess.
Having a filling is arguably the most common procedures dentists perform. It is a routine procedure that is able to alleviate any pain associated with cavities and damaged teeth and restore the tooth so you are able to eat and drink normally.
The majority of deep fillings can be treated successfully without resulting in sensitivity and do not require root canal treatments.
The only alternative to a root canal treatment is to remove (extract) the tooth from the mouth.
If the decay reaches your tooth's main structure, called dentin, then a filling can replace the lost tooth structure after your dentist has cleaned the cavity of bacteria and infection. However, if it reaches the tooth's center chamber, called the pulp, a filling may no longer suffice to address it.
Contrary to popular belief, the modern root canal procedure is no more painful than a standard filling, with many patients only feeling a slight discomfort, thanks to the powerful anesthetic options available.
If your dentist recommends a root canal, you might feel nervous about the pain. In fact, as root canal procedures are carried out using local anaesthesia to numb the pain, they're usually no more painful than getting a filling or other dental treatment.
If you're trying to choose between the two options and wondering “which is more painful, a tooth extraction or a filling,” removing a tooth results in a longer period of discomfort compared to a filling procedure.
An irritated nerve
As the nerve heals, the sensitivity will go away. This may take a few days or weeks. Once the nerve has healed fully, a person should feel no difference between the filled tooth and the other teeth.
When a cavity reaches close to the tooth's nerve, a deep filling is required, and you may experience severe tooth pain afterward. This happens because a deep filling can irritate the nerve inside the tooth.
Root canal dangers for long-term health
The bacteria from your gums or the remnants of your infected tooth can easily spread through your bloodstream to the rest of your body and cause systemic problems.
Root canals are considered to be the most painful because they require removing the nerve tissue on a tooth's root. The removal of the nerve tissue is not only excruciatingly painful but also commonly leads to infection.
Unfortunately, the infected pulp of the tooth will not heal on its own and requires a root canal to properly be treated. Sometimes, patients may think a tooth infection has healed itself once they no longer feel pain in their tooth, but this just signals that the nerves inside of the tooth have died.
If you wait to have a root canal, you're only providing that infection more time to gain strength and spread. Infection can spread from the tooth into the bloodstream, and then you have a much more serious issue than a common and routine dental practice.
You must undergo a root canal within a few weeks to fully eliminate the infection and save your tooth.
A Root Canal Counts As An Emergency Dental Treatment
A root canal is typically considered to fall under the umbrella of emergency dentistry. Tooth infections are extremely painful and uncomfortable, and they can cause serious complications if they are left untreated, including the death of the infected tooth.
What is the Typical Age for Root Canal Treatment? There is no specific age for root canal treatment. If any individual is experiencing a severe tooth infection, they may require root canal therapy in Yellowknife. However, it is more likely for an individual to require root canal therapy between the ages of 12 to 65.