Not many people would be excited at the prospect of needing root canal treatment. In fact, the procedure has gained a foul reputation mainly due to misreports and exaggerations among those who’ve never had one. The truth, however, is that root canal therapy is designed to relieve your dental discomfort, not cause it, and if you’ve been told you require one, then the treatment may be your tooth’s last chance at survival. Astoria dentist, Dr. Jeffrey Leibowitz, explains the science of root canal treatment and the conditions that lead to its necessity.
Tooth Decay at a Glance
Tooth decay is a progressive disease that begins with an often-unnoticed bacterial process called acid erosion. When you consume sugar and other carbs, some of the bacteria in your mouth convert them into lactic acid, which depletes your teeth of essential minerals and weakens protective tooth enamel. Once your enamel is too weak to repel bacteria from its more vulnerable main structure, tooth decay soon sets in and treating it becomes essential to retaining your tooth. If caught before it passes these first two layers of your tooth structure, decay can usually be treated with a dental filling. However, if left untreated long enough, the infection can reach the blood vessels and nerves at the center of your tooth (called the pulp) and require a root canal treatment to correct.
Save Your Tooth from Total Destruction
Unlike other parts of your body, your teeth cannot repair or rebuild themselves when damaged or diseased. Proactive treatment is the only way to save your tooth from destruction when infection takes hold. A root canal treatment involves removing the decayed pulp from your tooth’s center, sealing the roots to prevent the infection from spreading to the tissues around it, and then restoring the removed tissue with a durable dental filling. Once the procedure is completed, your tooth’s discomfort will cease and your oral health will be safe.
Root Canal Treatments with Your Astoria Dentist
To learn more about root canal treatments and other methods of treating tooth decay, call us immediately to schedule a dental consultation with Dr. Leibowitz. You can contact our Astoria dentist office by calling (718) 728-8320. Located in the 11106 area, we proudly serve patients from Astoria, Queens, Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the surrounding communities.
