It’s surprising that so many adult-age Americans have one or more missing teeth. In fact, the average number of teeth for adults age 20 to 64 is 24.92– when you consider that the full number of adult teeth is 32 for most, that’s a high number.. Nearly 4% of adults are missing all of their teeth, and although many people will lose teeth as a naturally part of aging, a considerable percentage also lose teeth to dental decay, physical injury, and other causes.
Dr. Bodepudi’s primary work as a specialist is with root canal therapy. A root canal can save your cracked or decaying tooth from an extraction. Through quick, accurate treatments, it’s possible to remove the soft nerve tissue of the tooth– the pulp– and to rebuild the tooth’s core, structural strength, so that the tooth remains viable, healthy, and stable for life. Root canal therapy can not only help you to save your tooth, but it can also address the considerable pain that patients feel when they have a tooth that has been compromised, and would otherwise require an extraction.
What is a Root Canal?
Root canal is a procedure that may be required whenever the pulp of a tooth has become damaged, or when it has become inflamed or infected by bacteria. There’s no mystery as to when this is usually required; you may experience symptoms which include:
- Pain and prolonged sensitivity to heat or cold
- Tenderness to touch and chewing
- Discoloration of the tooth
- Swelling, including swelling in the face, neck, or head area.
- Feverish symptoms, as your body attempts to ward off an infection in its tissue.
- Foul-smelling breath from tooth decay, or from pus drainage from the site of infection.
- Sometimes, however there are no symptoms.
Root canals address the issue by removing the soft tissue from the core of the tooth, and by filling the space with a dentally sound material that will allow it to function just as any other tooth would.
After the root canal has been completed, you will then have a crown or a permanent restoration placed on the tooth by your general dentist, to give it structural strength and durability. The crown is bonded into place, and cosmetically matched to the look of your natural teeth. The entire root canal procedure can be performed in one or two visits, and can make a world of difference for patients in Essex county that may be experiencing severe tooth pain or other symptoms of an abscess.
Dr. Bodepudi and her team can provide scheduled or emergency care for patients of all ages. If you’re worried about the health of your tooth, or if you’re experiencing painful symptoms of a damaged tooth, then contact Garden State Endodontics in West Caldwell, NJ as soon as possible so that you can schedule an examination. You will save your tooth, and your health in the process.