Month: January 2022

A root canal is an endodontic treatment that becomes mandatory when the pulp inside a tooth becomes infected. A tooth’s pulp comprises blood vessels, connective tissues, and nerves and may get damaged due to an injury, severe decay, untreated cavity, etc. The root canal process entails drilling an opening in the tooth, removing the infected pulp, and ultimately dealing with it to prevent further infection.

Root Canal Failure
A root canal is a typical treatment in the United States. It is an incredibly safe treatment with a 95 percent success rate. Moreover, 85 percent of teeth fixed by a root canal last a lifetime. So, the statistics are pretty promising. However, an occasional failure is inevitable in all medical treatments, and a root canal is no exception. A root canal failure may happen due to a loose crown, a tooth fracture, or a new dental decay. The loss is sometimes visible immediately after the treatment, or, at times, it may take years to prop up. Now that we have deliberated upon the possibility of a root canal treatment failing let us look at the top three symptoms of a failed root canal.

• Pain: Minor discomfort and toothache are typical for a few days after a root canal. However, if the pain lingers for prolonged periods and is intense, then you may be experiencing a root canal failure.
• Swelling: Some mild swelling around the treated tooth or all over the face is typical of a root canal treatment. But, persistent swelling and the emergence of a new swelling might be an indication that your root canal failed.
• Discharge: A bloody or pus-filled discharge oozing out from the treated tooth after a root canal procedure implies that a fresh abscess has taken over the area.

In case of a root canal failure, retreatment becomes the viable solution. A root canal retreatment involves disassembling the restorative materials inside the pulp to gauge the source of the failure. Furthermore, if retreatment also fails, an apicoectomy is the next course of action.  

Schedule your appointment with a dentist today and get the treatment on time!

The reason for getting a root canal done on a tooth is inflammation or infection in the soft tissue inside the tooth. 

Reasons for infection in the tooth can be many ranging from decay or bacteria in the mouth to severe chip or crack in tooth or a dental crown not working properly. Even if you feel that taking out the damaged tooth is more convenient and less time taking than a root canal, it is always better to keep your natural teeth and heal them with a root canal procedure.

But even after a root canal, there are possibilities of re-infection in the same tooth. Let us understand what signs you should look for to know if your root canal is infected and the reasons for infection in a root-canaled tooth.

Warning Signs of Re-Infection in a Root Canal Treated Tooth
Some of the signs and symptoms that your tooth, which has gone through a root canal procedure earlier, has been infected again are outlined below:

• Ongoing pain in the tooth: If your tooth has acute pain after root canal especially when you bite down then there could be a chance of root canal reinfection. Infected root canals can cause severe pain since the tooth material inside the treated tooth is extremely sensitive. 
• High sensitivity to food: If you feel immense sensations while eating anything cold or hot and the pain does not go away even after you have finished eating, then you might need to see your dentist to figure out if there is a root canal infection.
• Swollen gums and tenderness: When the root canal is infected the gum is swollen more than normal. There could be a lump formation and the swelling could extend to the face and neck. The gums would usually be more tender than normal in case of an infected root canal.
• Foul order: Root canal infection could give off a bad odor from the mouth.

What Can Cause Infection After Root Canal?
There are many reasons to get an infection after a root canal treatment like:

• A delay in placing a permanent crown on the root-canaled tooth, which adds an extra layer of protection. This delay gives bacteria an opportunity to re-infect the tooth.
• The original seal on the tooth was not sufficient to ward off bacterial contamination.

There is no reason to fret much if you develop another infection in a tooth that has gone through the root canal process. You can get a second round of root canal done for your tooth. Your dentist might examine your tooth to find out if the problem is more complicated and decide upon whether an apicoectomy (also called root end surgery where the tip of the root is removed and filled with a biocompatible substance) needs to be performed or not.

Schedule your appointment with a dentist today and get the treatment on time!

The dental implant is the best alternative to improve the quality of life of many people daily,  extending the life expectancy. 

How can missing teeth reduce life expectancy? 
If you ask any provider, the leading cause of death in the United States is heart disease, and people  who have fewer teeth or have lost five or more teeth are prone to develop it. They might also  increase the risk of osteoporosis and diabetes.  

So what is the correlation between longevity and tooth loss? There is a good chance that a large  number of people develop gum diseases. The bacteria that cause gum disease and eventually tooth  loss slip into the bloodstream affect other vital functions, increasing the risk of heart attack, stroke,  etc. 

How do Dental Implants lead to a longer life? 

• A capable bite: Research says that dental implants can provide a bite force that leads to a more  varied and nutritious diet. You can use it as natural with more efficiency.
• Healthy diet: Losing teeth restricts the variety in the diet that eventually leads to malnutrition.  Dental implants increase the capability to chew, bite and enable you to eat anything like crunchy  nuts, meats, raw vegetables, etc.
  
• Improve the quality of life: The appearance of the teeth has a substantial impact on confidence  and social life. Social isolation and chronic illnesses are both linked to reducing lifespan.  However, dental implants boost your self-esteem and bring a confident smile.
  
• No further tooth loss: With proper care and maintenance, you decrease the chances of losing  more of the natural teeth.
  
• Easy maintaining: Taking care of the dental implant is as simple as flossing and brushing.  However, after you get your implant, your dentist will provide you with the best way to take  care of it along with a recovery diet.

Schedule your appointment with a dentist today and get the treatment on time!

Dental implants are prosthetic appliances that act as a replacement for missing teeth. They have been a boon to many millions of people by substituting for natural teeth that may have to be extracted owing to several reasons such as dental decay, trauma, periodontal diseases, and so forth. There are several veritable advantages of dental implants, the first being that they help people eat, speak, and live better. Implants play a pivotal role in building people’s confidence, especially the elderly. But, while talking about dental implants and their advantages, we cannot ignore their various downsides.

Disadvantages of Getting Dental Implants 

• The first downside of dental implants is their cost. The price of dental implants can soar to as high as $25,000 to $45,000. It is an inaccessible method for people who are not well-off. 
• The high cost of dental implants is coupled with insurance that covers a minuscule amount of the expenses. Even if dental implants are fixed for medical purposes, insurance agencies cover as little as none of the total procedure cost.
• Opting for dental implants means consenting to a surgical process. A dental implant is a painful procedure that can take months to complete. 
• A host of doctors are involved in one single dental implant procedure. As such, the costs are higher, and internal politics may lead to problems. 
• Despite being a groundbreaking technique, dental implants are not for everyone. People with bone conditions may not be eligible for implants. 
• Although rare, complications are not non-existent when we talk about dental implants. A fraction of the total proportion of people who get dental implants ends up in difficulties. 

In complications, like everything else in this world, dental implants also have their downsides. But, simultaneously, we have to acknowledge that it is a marvel of modern dentistry that has changed many people’s lives. 

Schedule your appointment with a dentist today and get the treatment on time!

Dental implants are prosthetic appliances that have become the ideal process for tooth replacement. They act as an ideal substitute for natural teeth that may be severely damaged, decayed, chipped, or broken due to several reasons. Initially propounded for senior citizens, dental implants are now utilized by the young and the old cohort. Nowadays, the improvement in dental implants has skyrocketed with unique, innovative techniques, high-tech materials, and likewise bombarding the market. Now that we have slightly touched upon the entailments of a dental implant let us try and answer how long one needs to wait to get an implant.

Dental Implants after Extraction
The timeframe of opting for dental implants after teeth extraction varies from case to case. Some people may obtain their permanent restoration in as little as three months after the extraction procedure is complete; whereas, others may take as long as a whole year to heal from the extraction. Simultaneously, it is noteworthy to highlight that you can go for immediate implants after extraction, provided that your jaw contains sufficient bone structure and your gum and jaw tissues are healthy. A process known as osseointegration is utilized to infuse the titanium implant with the jaw bone in 3 to 6 minutes. Another procedure known as early implant placement enables the fixation of dental implants within 2 to 3 months after the tooth is extracted. The process is recommended for people with a missing bone structure, damaged gum and jaw tissues, and similar conditions. 

In conclusion, the typical time you might need to get implants after an extraction is 3 to 6 months. But, as we have already mentioned, the timeframe varies and is highly relative. 

Schedule your appointment with a dentist today and get the treatment on time!