Advice for Young Denture Wearers

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What Is A Root Canal?

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When you have an infection in your jaw, there are some things that your doctor may recommend that they do for you and your jaw so that you don't lose your teeth or have any other health problems. But, you may not know what exactly a root canal is, and you may be worried about getting one if you don't know what's going on. So, what is a root canal?

Root Canal

To understand a root canal, one must first understand what the inside of your tooth is like. Your teeth consist of several different parts. And there's more than just what you can see above the gum line. The part above the gums is called the crown. Under the gum and into the bone of your jaw is the root. Inside the root of your tooth is the pulp. The pulp is surrounded by the dentin of your teeth to keep it nice and protected. All the nerves and blood vessels that run to your teeth run through the pulp During a root canal, the dentist will get down into that pulp, scrape it all out, and clean up any decay or infection left. Because they can't leave your tooth a hollow shell, they will also put a special filling in it to seal and stabilize your tooth. But that's not all that they will do. 

Crowns and Core Buildup

Another thing that the dentist is going to do when you are getting a root canal is to make sure that your tooth is going to be strong and protected. Because your tooth has been hollowed out, even though they have filled it, it is going to be weaker than the rest of your teeth. You may break it easily just by eating normally. So, they have a couple of options, and which one they choose depends on several things, including where the tooth is and how severe the decay and resultant infection was. If it wasn't too bad, the doctor may just be able to give you a core buildup. However, for a more severe case, the doctor may put a crown on your teeth. A crown would be made out of special dental material that is placed on your tooth and is basically a hat for your teeth. Once it's cemented to your tooth, you should have no problems. 

Getting a root canal may be scary, if you aren't sure what they are. You can find out more information by visiting a site like http://www.apollodentalcenter.com.


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