Fifteen million “root canal” procedures are performed in this country annually. These procedures are undertaken when a tooth’s nerve becomes infected or the pulp (the soft material inside the tooth) becomes damaged and bacteria in the pulp chamber cause an infection or abscess. The goal is to preserve the tooth by removing the pulp, the nerve tissue, and blood vessels and replacing them with rigid natural latex produced from tree sap called “gutta percha.” Because traditional gutta percha cannot ward off residual infection and has limited rigidity, researchers have begun to test an improved version that includes nanodiamonds (tiny diamond particles from diamond mining) and antibiotics (amoxicillin). Future testing will reveal if the new formulation warrants wide-scale use.
Hearing “root canal” or “tooth extraction” may send shivers down your spine. However, a smart dental patient looks logically at the pros and cons of each service. Join us at West Brookfield Dental, located at 9 West Main St., West Brookfield, and enjoy the benefits of professional and expert dental care. We invite you to call 508.867.2777 to schedule an appointment. Our goal is to help preserve your natural teeth for a lifetime. Let us help you smile.
P.S. It is the abscessed pulp, not the root canal treatment itself, that is painful. Most people find the root canal procedure no more uncomfortable than having a cavity filled.
