Don't Want a Root Canal? Here's How a Dental Crown Can Prevent It

Root canals fill many people with dread and anxiety. While these tooth-preserving procedures are a far cry better than having a tooth pulled, it's understandable if you don't want to have to go that far. If you're worried about one of your teeth because it's painful or has an obvious cavity, you should get help right away, especially if you don't want a root canal. Here's how a simple dental crown could be the solution of choice for you - if you don't hesitate.

Why Root Canals Become Necessary

Root canals, as the name implies, involve altering the root of your tooth. The root of your tooth goes down into the gums, and it's not completely solid on the inside. When a cavity forms or another kind of trauma occurs that allows an infection to take place, the pulp inside your teeth can become infected or damaged. When this happens, the only choice dentists have is to either completely pull the tooth or to remove the infected pulp.

The main reason why some cavities only need fillings is that they haven't impacted the pulp badly enough to need fully removing. Even severe cavities can sometimes be repaired with a crown, but it's important to get help from your dentist as soon as possible.

Protecting the Tooth

When you get a dental crown, the entire purpose of it is to help protect your tooth. Your dentist will still need to drill any existing cavities to remove damaged parts, and they may still fill the area as well depending on your tooth's condition.

Once this is done, the dental crown is placed over the tooth to act as a shield between it and the surrounding area. This helps to ensure that food, debris, and bacteria can't get into the hole that was made by the cavity. It's imperative that a crown stays in place, which is why it's so important to get help having one repaired or replaced if one falls off years after you got it.

The Process

Getting a dental crown is a fairly easy process, especially in comparison to getting a root canal. Your dentist will drill the cavity, fill it, and then take measurements of your surrounding teeth. This will allow them to create a crown for you that matches the size and shape of your existing tooth so that you don't feel it every time you bite down.

While you're waiting for your custom crown to be made, your dentist may fit you with a temporary one. This one will be comfortable, but may be noticeable since it's a one-size-fits-all type of replacement. Rest assured that the permanent replacement won't have this problem. Once your crown is ready, your dentist will remove the old one, and put the new one in place. With that, your entire replacement therapy is complete.

Getting a root canal doesn't have to happen if you take good care of your teeth and seek help when a problem arises. While it might be scary to think about the possibility of a root canal, visiting local dental services as soon as possible will help.