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Moreno Dental
3115 Howe Place
Suite 101
Bellingham, WA
98226
360.676.0642
Moreno Dental is a proud member of:
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If the nerve of your tooth becomes infected by decay, or damaged
by trauma, root canal treatment is often the only way to save your
tooth.
Inside your tooth's hard outer shell of enamel is a nourishing pulp
of blood vessels, lymph vessels and nerves. The root canals, which
contain the pulp, extend to the bone. Deep tooth decay, or an injury,
can cause serious damage and infection to the pulp's nerves and
vessels. A "root canal" (the technical term is endodontic
treatment) cleans out the infected pulp chamber and repairs the
damage.
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Most Commonly
Asked Questions
If you remove the nerve, won't
the tooth be dead?
No, the nerve is only part of the tooth's vitality. Strong
living fibers attach the tooth to the bone, which makes a
nerveless tooth very much alive and functional.
Am I justified in spending
money for root canal treatment?
The alternative is extraction and replacement of the tooth
with a bridge or an implant. Besides losing and important
member of the dentition, the artificial substitutes usually
cost more than root canal treatment and the permanent restoration
of the tooth.
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How long will the
tooth last after root canal treatment?
Often as long as the other teeth in the mouth, provided the
person is in good health and his or her body has the ability
to repair damaged bone. The tooth must also have healthy fibers
supporting the tooth in the bone (healthy gums around that tooth). |
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Will the tooth darken
after treatment?
Most of the time discoloration of the tooth does not occur.
Where a tooth may have been discolored before endodontic treatment
began, it is sometimes possible to correct the discoloration
through endodontic bleaching procedures. |
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Will the tooth crack
or fracture?
Measures will be taken while root canal treatment is in progress
to prevent this from occurring. You may further prevent fracture
by strengthening this tooth with a crown. |
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Will my health be
jeopardized by a root canal treated tooth?
Not at all! Once an endodontically (root canal) treated tooth
has healed, it takes its place as a functional organ of the
body much as a once broken leg can soon support body weight. |
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Can a root canal
treated tooth be used as an anchor for a bridge?
Yes indeed. With proper bone support a nerveless tooth is an
excellent bridge anchor. |
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If the tooth is
dead why does it hurt so much?
Discomfort prior to treatment is a result of infection and inflammation
of the nerve, surrounding bone and soft tissue. Once the offending
nerve canal is cleansed and medicated, the pain will go away
and the tooth will feel normal again. |
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Can root canal infection
always be treated successfully?
Unfortunately not. Sharp curves due to unusual root growth and
extremely narrow canals occasionally make instrumentation and
medication impossible; however, this does not mean the tooth
necessarily must be lost, since other procedures can often save
the tooth (e.g. apicoectomy, etc.) |
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Disclaimer:
The materials on this web site are informational only and not intended
as a substitute for professional dental and/or medical advice. Accordingly
you should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health
problem or disease without consulting with a qualified healthcare
provider. |
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