Endodontic treatment, or treating/removing the infected tissues from the center of your tooth, might be the last resort for saving your severely damaged or infected tooth. Known as the pulp, the mass of nerves and blood vessels underneath your tooth’s outer layers connects to your teeth’s roots, which extend underneath your gums and into your jawbone. When your pulp is infected with tooth decay, the infection can completely consume your tooth and kill the sensitive pulp, rendering the tooth useless and in need of extraction. Left untreated, the infection can spread to nearby tissues, as well, and if Dr. Loukas prescribes endodontic treatment for your tooth, then you may have little time left to save it.
Defeating Tooth Decay
Root canal treatment isn’t typically prescribed unless it’s the only way to eradicate a tooth infection. If you visit your Park Ridge dentists at least once every six months for a routine checkup and cleaning, then Dr. Maria or Dr. Thanasi Loukas can detect the signs of tooth decay before your condition becomes severe. Mild to moderate cavities (holes in your tooth that result from decay) can be treated with a dental filling, or white-composite resin that’s used to fill the cavity after Dr. Loukas thoroughly cleans it. If your cavity is significant, Dr. Loukas may place a dental crown over the tooth after the cavity is filled. Unfortunately, poor hygiene and neglect can allow bacteria to grow and your tooth infection to progress until it reaches the pulp at your tooth’s center.
What is Root Canal Treatment?
Your root canals are the chambers through which your roots pass as they extend from your tooth’s pulp to the jawbone. If your tooth’s nerves and blood vessels are infected, then decay can pass through the root canals and into surrounding oral tissues. During a root canal treatment, Dr. Loukas carefully removes the infected, necrotic tooth tissues, then cleans and seals the tooth’s root canals to prevent bacteria and infection from spreading through them. After the roots are sealed, Dr. Loukas will fill the tooth’s cavity with a dental filling, then cap the tooth with a dental crown to reinforce its weakened structure.
About Your Park Ridge Dentists:
Dr. Maria and Dr. Thanasi Loukas are highly-skilled restorative, cosmetic, and implant dentists serving the Park Ridge and surrounding Chicago communities. To schedule an appointment, call Loukas General Dentistry today at (847) 696-1919.