You need a root canal! What are your options? – Three considerations before making your choice.
When your dentist tells you that your tooth needs root canal therapy it is always disappointing. At that time you may have been in acute pain for some time and your dentist can get you out of that difficult situation. It will usually be an immense relief when the angry infected and pressured tooth has been relieved of its main blood, nerve and lymphatic system and a sedative dressing is placed.
Hopefully the pain subsides and you can go about your day and your sleep will improve as the throbbing will have resolved. Now you have some time to think about your options. Your dentist will offer to finalise the root canal therapy or refer you to a specialist who are the experts in this field. The priority if you are to keep the tooth in your mouth is disinfecting the bacteria that live and thrive in the fine dentine tubules throughout the roots structure. Any root canal sealant will block these bacteria from getting oxygen and so an anaerobic culture occurs with release of endotoxins that are potentially harmful to the body.
There have been some advances in laser dentistry and the laser company Fotona have a twinlight laser that literally pulses energy through the tooth obliterating any bacteria or biological remnants in the millions of tubules and beyond so there is now 100% sterilisation. This is an exciting advance as before a mild bleach is used that will not penetrate the whole body of root anatomy. This laser is very expensive and only a few dentists have access to it. Hopefully the Specialist Endodontists will embrace this modern technology.
If you decide you do not want to keep the tooth in your head as it is now dead there are a few options. A digital x ray should be taken as a minimum. To get the best view of your dental situation a Conebeam CT gives a 3 dimensional view of the teeth roots, jaws, sinus and airway space. Dental Wellness has invested in the best 3D Conebeam CT technology that has the lowest radiation exposure available with the best clarity of image.
Dentistry has always strived to keep your teeth in your head. From an embryological perspective your teeth are literally the end of your nervous system.
Nobody wants to lose a tooth but the idea of having dead tissue remaining in the body with no vitality does not sit well with most. There are some considerations to think about.
1. How old are you?
If you are under 25 then your jaw and smile has not fully developed. If a tooth is lost early it may be extremely difficult to replace it with a perfect replacement. You do not want a crooked smile as the surrounding tissues have continued to remodel. A root canal carried out perfectly can give you some breathing space for technology to catch up and if problems arise then the option of immediate replacement with an immediate all ceramic zirconia implant solution will be a common procedure in the future, I hope.
2. How healthy are you?
There is much research on the effect of the oral microbiome on the rest of the body. You do not want a cultivation of nasty anaerobic bacteria and their endotoxins getting into your bloodstream creating inflammatory challenges throughout the body. Much scientific research confirms connections with certain oral bacteria with Chronic Fatigue, Alzheimers, Arthritis, Heart disease, Diabetes and many common Cancers.
If your health is poor you may not want to take the risk that the tooth will become a low grade infected body in your mouth.
Removal would be the choice, but it is important that you consider what and how the space created will be filled. Teeth serve many functions. As well as smiling and eating the function of the teeth is also to stabilise the jaw joints and cranial bones. Once a molar tooth is lost the opposing tooth can over erupt or tilt effecting your bite. The chance of getting TMJ problems are higher, the more teeth you lose.
3. Is there a special way to remove an infected tooth?
We use the most advanced biological way of efficiently removing your tooth, periodontal ligament and any infected bone without pain and often using ozone solutions and the healing components of your own blood’s platelet rich fibrin (PRF) to boost and accelerate healing without the use of non human augmenting products. Blood is drawn from your arm and the collection tubes are placed in a centrifuge to separate the PRF and this has some stem cells , growth hormone and all of your own immune boosting elements. With rapid healing we get healthy bone formation so the option of a zirconia ceramic metal free dental implant will be a successful choice.
If a ceramic dental implant is not something you can plan for then an option of an all ceramic bridge will return your smile in a short space of time. A bonded ceramic bridge involves minimal destruction to the supporting teeth either side, whereas a fixed bridge involves destruction to healthy tooth tissue on one or both teeth either side. The risk that these teeth could then cause problems is real.
The economical replacement is a good old fashioned denture made with a flexible nylon material. This may be a bacteria trap and lead to deterioration of the supporting bone and tissues of the teeth around the denture.
So you see, there is a lot to think about and it is important you make an informed choice. As a biological dentist the choice of ceramic zirconia dental implant is optimal. Unlike the titanium implant they are not a metal and so there is no corrosion over time. They are white and a more biological answer to providing you with a new tooth that you can be confident of many years of smiling,eating your favourite food and being optimally healthy.
Keep Smiling
It’s good for You!
Dr David Cowhig, the founder of the Dental Wellness clinics, is a pioneer in holistic metal free dentistry & aesthetics, providing scientific-based biological dentistry. We support you as an individual and take into account the variety of factors that can lead to dental and oral health problems. We believe passionately that creating health and beauty around us is an integral part of life and you will feel these qualities in our dental care. You can find us at The Gap in Brisbane, focussing on holistic aesthetic total metal-free dentistry.
Contact Dental Wellness on 07 3511 1399 or email reception@dentalwellness.com.au.