Laguna Niguel residents explore the many reasons "why" a root canal treatment may be needed to restore a tooth

Are you looking for relief from lingering or sharp pain? These symptoms, especially those experienced when biting down or consuming cold or hot food and drink may mean the soft inside part of your tooth is either inflamed or dying. This diseased tooth pulp often occurs when tooth decay is allowed to progress without treatment.

If caught in its earliest stages, decay may be treated with fluoride to curb the effect of food debris and bacteria on enamel. These debris and bacteria form destructive acids, which can further burrow through your teeth. Fillings can "fill in" those holes or cavities in the tooth caused by decay. If decay is severe or it has weakened the tooth, a crown may be placed after the decayed area is drilled away as a means of building up the tooth and bringing it back to function. In still other cases, a crown will follow a root canal.

The root canal process involves accessing the pulp chamber through a small opening made through the natural crown. Drs. Alex and Basti will then use instruments to remove the diseased or infected tissue. The chamber and root canals through which the nerves and blood vessels enter the innermost part of the tooth are then cleaned. A temporary crown is placed to protect the prepared tooth if an infection must be cleared before the chamber and canals are filled and sealed, and prior to the placement of the permanent crown. Otherwise, Basti Dental Care has CEREC technology onsite, which allows the crown and other restorations to be designed and made in-house and within one visit.

Aside from deep decay, root canal treatment may be recommended to treat inflamed or infected pulp caused by:

• Trauma from multiple fillings, procedures on the same tooth
• A crack or chip
• A damaging injury on an otherwise chip- or crack-free tooth

Today's root canal therapy treats many problems that were untreatable even a few decades ago, and it can do so comfortably. Formerly, if a severely fractured or infected tooth couldn't be saved with a root canal the only alternative was extraction.

Basti Dental Care believes extraction should always be a last resort, because missing teeth can lead to many health and social problems including bone loss. If a tooth can't be saved with a root canal and an extraction is necessary, Drs. Basti can replace the tooth with a dental implant designed to look, feel, and function like a natural tooth.

In still other cases, when you ask, "Why do I need a root canal procedure?" Basti Dental Care may find the decay has not progressed to the point where this treatment is necessary. A filling or crown without root canal therapy may be all you need. You won't know for sure until a consultation is scheduled at office near Laguna Niguel. Call 949-427-2096.