The benefits of a root canal treatment when you have a tooth that is infected or injured are significant. First and foremost, you keep your tooth. Root canals also effectively reduce tooth pain, decrease the chance that serious dental infection will spread to adjacent teeth, and prevent the loss of bone density in the jaw, a common after-effect of tooth loss.
With all these advantages, the longer a root canal treatment can contribute to preserving a natural tooth, the better. The lifespan of a root canal treatment can vary considerably, depending on the circumstances. Here are several important factors that can play a role in how long your root canal treatment may last.
Factors Impacting Root Canal Success
Which tooth needs the root canal? The position of the compromised natural tooth will influence how complex the root canal procedure will be. Front teeth typically have only a single tooth root. Your molars, on the other hand, have two or even three root canals to be cleaned and filled, and will require a crown to protect the natural tooth afterward.
How bad is the damage to the tooth? Severe tooth decay or a crack or chip in a tooth can lead to inflammation or infection so bad that an abscess forms. If the outer structure of the tooth is still intact, there is a better chance that a root canal will last longer.
Who will perform the root canal? Endodontists are specialists in saving natural teeth. Surveys indicate that endodontists perform, on average, 25 root canals a week; general dentists average far fewer. One study found that 98 percent of root canals done by endodontists are successful, along with 90 percent done by general practitioners.
Will additional treatment be needed? The overall health of the tooth impacts whether a root canal is the best treatment. If the structure of the tooth itself is weak, a post and core procedure may be performed after the root canal to help anchor the crown and hold the natural tooth together.
Are you motivated to take care of your natural teeth? Patient involvement in the root canal process is critical to ensuring its long-term success. Contact your practitioner if you have unusual postoperative pain or if your temporary crown falls out; get the crown for the treated tooth promptly; and contact your dentist or endodontist if you have symptoms indicating tooth root infection at any point.
Dr. Allen, who practices with the Phoenix Endodontic Group, says, “Root canals can preserve natural teeth for years or even decades – and for some, they can last a lifetime. Our practice can instruct you in all the ways you can ensure your root-canal treated tooth stays healthy for as long as possible.”
Safe, thorough & effective laser root canal treatment is now available at Phoenix Endodontic Group. SWEEPS® is an advanced method for cleaning the root canal system. Our state-of-the-art Fotona LightWalker® laser generates precise waves of energy to thoroughly clean the complex root canal system that traditional methods can sometimes miss.
SWEEPS® promises to represent an entirely new way of thinking about root canal therapy. With SWEEPS®, patients receive fast, safe, and effective root canal treatments.
SWEEPS® Endodontic Laser Treatment
Root canal laser treatment successfully addresses a major disadvantage of classical root canal therapy, the inability to completely clean and disinfect complex root canal systems.
Advantages of and SWEEPS® Technologies:
Fast, Effective, and Minimally Invasive Treatments with Multiple Laser Technologies.
Increased Success Rates.
SSP and SWEEPS® deliver cleaning solutions throughout the tooth’s small nooks and crannies removing bacteria, dead tissue, and debris.
Reduced complications.
Less need for additional costly procedures such as surgery, retreatment or extractions, and implant therapy.
Increased patient safety.
Cleans the entire root canal anatomy without the risk of extruding cleaning solutions beyond the end of the root vs. GentleWave Technology.
Reduced removal of tooth structure = Reduced tooth fracture.
Ask how you can benefit from using Fotona Laser SWEEPS® treatment for your root canal.
Are you one of millions of Americans facing tooth loss? Many people today lose a tooth (or teeth) to decay, accident, or injury. Many more are lost due to periodontal disease (gum disease), which affects nearly 50% of Americans over age 30 and nearly 70% of those over age 65. Dental implants can offer a long-lasting, comfortable, realistic-appearing tooth substitute for one or more natural teeth. Here are some important points to consider when weighing whether dental implants are a solution of choice for you.
What Are The Advantages Of A Dental Implant?
There’s no further damage caused to remaining teeth. Bridges and partial dentures both work by using remaining natural teeth as anchor points. Over time, this perpetual stress weakens the anchor teeth, which can lead painfully to further tooth loss and replacement.
Dental implants are in place for good, permanently. Partial or full dentures must be removed and cleaned daily with a special solution. Poorly-fitted dentures can slip, making eating and talking awkward and embarrassing. Dental implants, with proper care, can be expected to last 20 years, comfortably, non-slip!
Dental implants help fight bone loss. When you lose teeth, loss of bone in the jaw follows not long behind. Dental implants bond with the jawbone, helping to preserve and prolong its integrity, which in turn helps your jawbone maintain the natural contour of your face. Neither bridges nor dentures combat bone loss in the jaw, essentially allowing your face to inevitably develop that “caved-in” look.
Dental implants provide a realistic-looking replacement for missing or severely damaged teeth, allowing you to recover your ability to move confidently through life with a beautiful, natural smile.
Dental implants are not automatically the best choice for everyone. Some patients, for example, may need bone grafting to make dental implants an option. Other patients, especially those needing replacement of entire arches of teeth, may be put off by cost, although technology is making dental implants more affordable every day.
Your dentist or endodontist can help you determine whether dental implants might be right for you. If you have severely damaged or missing teeth, “Call us now,” encourages Dr. Jacqueline S. Allen of the Phoenix Endodontic Group. “Make it a holiday gift to yourself to come in and see how we can help restore your smile with dental implants!”
It seems that our schedules continue to get busier these days and are full of activities that need to be accomplished, particularly this time of year. If you are dealing with the challenge of an infected or injured tooth, you may wonder if you really have to schedule a dental appointment to place a permanent crown over a tooth that’s been treated with a root canal. There’s so much else to do!
You may ask,“Can’t I wait until early next year to schedule my crown appointment?” The short answer to that question is NO. Here are a few reasons why you should schedule your follow up appointment to receive your crown within one to three weeks after your root canal.
5 Reasons Why You Should Not Delay Getting A Crown After Root Canal Treatment
A longer wait means a longer period of being extra careful. Many of the instructions you receive after your root canal – especially the ones related to eating soft, bland foods – are designed to protect the temporary crown. If you wait longer to get a crown, you will have to continue that regimen.
Until a final restoration (crown) is placed, your tooth remains at risk of further damage. A root canal-treated tooth can be more brittle after the procedure, and a permanent crown is needed to prevent future damage.
Your tooth may suffer extra sensitivity without a crown. Some teeth treated by root canals can become more sensitive to heat or cold. Permanent crowns reduce this effect.
The longer you wait, the more likely you are to have the temporary crown fall out. Your temporary crown is not secured to your tooth in the same way a permanent crown is. If it falls off, the chances that you will experience increased pain or reinfection can skyrocket, as can cost. Such situations often result in unplanned emergency trips to the dentist.
A permanent crown gives your natural tooth the best shot at long-term survival. A study published in the May 2020 Journal of Endodontics reported that natural teeth treated with a permanent crown restoration have a survival rate of more than 90 percent over nine years. The extra layer of outer protection provided by the crown safeguards the interior protection offered by the root canal.
“Having a root canal is the first step to rescuing a compromised natural tooth,” says Dr. Allen, who practices with the Phoenix Endodontic Group. “Having a permanent crown placed over that tooth within one to three weeks ensures a much higher level of certainty that your tooth repair will last a lifetime.”
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When you have a tooth that’s compromised by decay or injury, you need to move quickly to a treatment plan. You may also be suffering some significant pain, which can make it harder to think through your options.
It’s true that general dentists CAN do root canals, but often the best choice is to request a referral to an endodontist. Your general dentist probably has working relationships with several local endodontists, and they can suggest someone who is a good match for your scheduling and clinical needs.
Here are just a few of the many reasons why endodontists are the preferred provider for root canal treatments.
Why Should An Endodontist Do My Root Canal?
Endodontists receive several years of additional training. After graduating from dental school, endodontists receive two to three years of additional specialty training, treating diseases of the soft tissues of the teeth, including the nerve pulp.
Endodontists perform root canals more frequently than general dentists. The average general dentist performs fewer than two root canals a week; the average endodontist performs 25 per week. This means the endodontist will see a greater range of cases and have more experience in treating a variety of challenges that may emerge during the procedure.
Endodontists are trained to use leading-edge technology and microsurgical techniques. Advances in root canal treatment in recent decades have made the procedure successful in more than 90 percent of cases.
Endodontists frequently provide clinical consultations to general dentists on tough cases. General dentists, as noted earlier, often partner with nearby endodontists when they have patients who may need a root canal. This relationship means you can trust that the endodontic referral you receive was preceded by a clinical discussion of your specific needs and challenges.
“Root canals comprise most of an endodontist’s caseload – they are the most common treatment we deliver,” says Dr. Jacqueline S. Allen, who practices with the Phoenix Endodontic Group. “Patients can trust our years of specialized training, the techniques and equipment we have access to, as well as our relationships with local general dentists.”
