Can a Root Canal Infection Heal Itself?

The name root canal can cause jitters to many of us who are scared of dentist visits or paranoid of any procedure associated with teeth. So if you are one of those, and are suffering from a root canal infection, then there is one good and  one bad news for you. 

The good news is that the advancement of technology has led to a much painless root canal procedure with local or general anesthesia as an option. The bad news is that a root canal infection can not heal itself and needs immediate treatment from your dentist.

What is the Root Canal Treatment?
A root canal procedure is carried out if your tooth is badly infected. In the procedure:

• The endodontist would open your tooth and remove all the infected pulp, which contains nerves and tissues inside your tooth.
• Your dentist would then refill your tooth with any thermoplastic substance, which can reach the end of your tooth.

Why Should You Get a Root Canal Done and Not Avoid It?
The infected pulp inside the tooth is not capable of healing itself. Even if the patient feels the pain subsiding, the tooth is not healed rather it signals that the nerve inside has died. In such cases, the patient might not feel pain but the infection remains inside the tooth. If this infection is not treated it can spread to other areas of your body like the brain, jaws, blood, etc. Some of the other side effects of not treating a root canal infection are:

• You may lose the infected tooth eventually.
• The infection can lead to a disease called dental abscess, which denotes a sac filled with pus. It needs immediate medical attention as a dental abscess can lead to heart strokes, heart attacks, life-threatening sepsis, etc.

If your teeth are infected then, you have only two options: either you get a root canal done or extract the tooth. The root canal is the safest and most effective option for treating tooth infections as it lets you keep your natural teeth and avoids re-infection. If you are scared of the pain associated with the procedure, then you can consult your dentist for the sedation options available for the root canal procedure.

Schedule your appointment with a dentist today and get the treatment on time!