We will do everything we can to save your natural teeth, no matter how bad the situation is. Even when a tooth is cracked after taking a hit and you can feel it moving in your mouth, it can be saved with the proper dental procedure. Infections are dangerous, but if treated can save your tooth.
Having an infected tooth can be a serious problem and many people wonder whether all infected teeth are salvageable.
Why an Infection in the Teeth Happens?
]When a decayed tooth is not treated promptly, the damage spreads to the pulp, an inner layer of the tooth where the nerves, connective tissue, and blood vessels are located. Once the infection reaches the pulp, it can spread to other teeth and in some cases to other parts of your body, such as your head.
How Can an Infected Tooth Be Saved?
The most common procedure to save an infected tooth is root canal therapy. This is when a small incision is made into the tooth to reach the pulp, then the infection is drained and cleaned before a sealant is applied to close the tooth.
An X-ray will be ordered to determine the severity of the infection and whether this procedure can save the tooth. We will always save a tooth when possible.
When a Tooth Can’t Be Saved
When an infection is severe, or the patient has a weak immune system that can get compromised, the tooth may not be salvageable, and an extraction will be recommended. Patients with cancer, undergoing chemotherapy, are especially vulnerable to infections and must be treated with extreme care.
If you think you have an infection in one of your teeth, chances are we can take care of the problem without an extraction. Even if an infection is present, we can save that tooth, but you need to be proactive and not wait for fear of a root canal or other procedure.