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Dental care

Can Amoxicillin Treat Root Canal Infection?

A root canal is a treatment designed to eradicate bacteria from the infected root canal, prohibit further re-infection, and save a person’s natural tooth. 

The process entails removing the inflamed or infected pulp inside the tooth and carefully cleaning and sealing the area. Now that we have talked about the basics of root canal treatment, let us examine further a root canal infection.

What is a Root Canal Infection?
Despite being incredibly safe, a small proportion of the population may suffer from tooth infection after a root canal procedure. A little pain is normal after a root canal. But, if the discomfort and tenderness continue for prolonged periods, then you might be suffering from a root canal infection. 

A tooth that does not fully heal after a root canal can become diseased for months and even years. Some of the causes of root canal infection are:

  • The shape of your root canal is complicated, and some affected areas may go unnoticed in the first root canal procedure. 
  • An infection may occur if the crown placement is delayed after the root canal treatment.
  • New cavity or damage after root canal treatment.
  • Your tooth may have narrow canals that were not thoroughly cleaned during the root canal procedure.
  • Your tooth may have an extra canal that houses bacteria and re-infect the tooth.

Can Amoxicillin Be Used As A Remedy For Root Canal?
Most antibiotics like Amoxicillin are not viable to cure a root canal infection. Once the disease has reached its roots, it means the blood vessels with antibacterial defenses have broken down. Hence, antibiotics cannot penetrate inside the tooth into the root where the problem lies. A feasible way to deal with a root canal infection is to see your dentist as soon as possible. 

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

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Dental care

What is the alternative for a root canal?

It’s the new year, and that of course means your insurance has been refreshed. New Year is the best time to plan any major dental procedures you need, such as a root canal.

This can be extremely expensive, however, and your insurance may not cover the full procedure. Popular theories proliferate about alternatives to root canals, yet be careful: not all of them are effective.

Learn about the root canal treatment
A root canal treatment is highly recommended when an infected and significantly damaged tooth needs repairing to save it.

This degree of damage is often a result of cracked tooth enamel, a deep cavity, or trauma.

The dental procedure includes a lot of steps, beginning with X-rays followed by the removal of the damaged section of tooth pulp under local anesthesia, also known as a pulpectomy.

The inside of the tooth is cleaned and disinfected and filled with gutta-percha material and sealed. A crown will restore the tooth after the root canal treatment is done.

Alternatives for root canal

  • The most obvious alternative to a root canal is basically extracting the tooth. Most dentists will tell you that it is always best practice to save the tooth whenever possible.
  • Extraction is a more horrendous procedure; it likewise leaves you without a tooth and the consequences of tooth loss can occur. Such as drifting, tipping, and movement of other teeth.
  • Another alternative is pulp capping. In this particular dental procedure, a sealant is used to close off the entrance to the pulp. This isn’t generally effective, and you may ultimately still be needed to have the root canal treatment. It may just delay the inevitable.
  • A bridge denture can be an alternative if you elect to remove the tooth and replace it with this option. Your dentist is the best person to explain the pros and cons of choosing this dental replacement over a root canal.
  • A dental implant can provide a similar alternative. Just your dentist can guide you to the right choice for you, relying upon whether the nerves have not yet been infected and the severity of the infection or inflammation. Dental implants can replace teeth however always remember an implant is a replacement for a tooth it is not a tooth so it additionally has a few things to consider. It is additionally more expensive than a root canal treatment.

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

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Dental care

How Long Do Tooth Abscesses Last?

A tooth abscess is a pocket of pus that accumulates when a bacterial infection seeps down to the pulp inside the tooth. It is noteworthy to highlight that tooth abscesses are the natural defense mechanism that aims to block the injection from reaching other areas of the dental pulp. But, the buildup of pus can be very painful, resulting in severe toothache. 

Tooth abscesses need to be treated by dentists immediately after they are identified. Likewise, being vigilant about one’s dental health is also fundamental in preventing painful conditions like abscesses in the first place. But, we have to underline that dental abscesses can last for months and even years if untreated. When the infection continues unfettered, there is an enormous risk of losing the tooth altogether. An abscess may transition from an acutely painful stage to a chronic one embodied by near-irreversible damage done to the body. 

Symptoms of Dental Abscesses
To treat dental abscesses, it is imperative to recognize the symptoms, which are:

  • Facial swelling
  • Swelling of gums
  • Redness of skin over the abscessed gum
  • Bleeding gums
  • Fever
  • Toothache
  • Loss of appetite
  • A rush of foul-tasting and pungent-smelling liquid in the mouth 

Thus, if you observe the symptoms mentioned above, visit your dentist at the earliest. It is imperative to remember that the susceptibility to dental abscesses increases with dental decay, the prevalence of chipped tooth or broken tooth, periodontal conditions, and likewise. You can follow good habits like avoiding too much sugar, using fluoridated toothpaste and water, and opting for a proper oral hygiene routine to keep dental abscesses at bay.

The longevity of tooth abscesses ranges from several months to years if they remain untreated. But with proper treatment, they can be controlled and dealt with at the right time.

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

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Dental care

What Are The Pros and Cons of The Implant?

Dental implants play a crucial role in making millions of people smile, eat, and speak better. Studies illustrate that one in four adults in America loses all their teeth by the age of 74. As such, dental implants are the ideal savior. A dental implant is a screw or frame composed of titanium and other similar materials that support tooth replacement. The first step entails anchoring the implant into the jawbone, wherein the new tooth will be attested. Then, three to six months later, the screw is completely fused with the bone, and a dentist attaches a replacement tooth to a tiny metal post protruding from the implant. Now, let us dovetail into the pros and cons of dental implants so that you can make an informed decision.

Advantages of Dental Implants

  • The first advantage of dental implants is that they are self-reliant. Unlike bridges, implants don’t depend upon the neighboring teeth for support, thereby avoiding ancillary damage. 
  • Bone loss is typically prevented in the case of implants as the tooth is replaced from the root.
  • Implants look as good as natural teeth and don’t produce crass clicking noises while you eat or speak. 

Disadvantages of Dental Implants 

  • Although dental implants are incredibly safe, some complications like bleeding, infection, sinus or nasal cavity injuries, and so forth may accompany a few cases.
  • Dental implants may appear like a long and tiring procedure for some people as the entire process takes as long as six months. 
  • Dental implants may also mandate that you get additional work done. If the jawbone is weakened by osteoporosis, the dental surgeon may graft bone onto the invalid portion. The sinus cavity can be lifted if it’s enlarged and pushed into the area that needs a bone graft. 
  • Dental implants are costly and not usually covered by insurance. So, you might have to pay thousands of dollars for a single dental implant. 

In conclusion, dental implants have various advantages, and you can opt for them safely. 

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Dental care

How long after an implant can I get a crown?

Dental implants are prosthetic appliances that act as replacements for missing teeth. They substitute for a person’s natural teeth that require removal due to factors such as severe dental decay, facial injury, periodontal diseases, and so forth. A dental implant is a screw or frame composed of titanium and similar materials supporting tooth replacement. The first step entails anchoring the implant – a screw-like structure – into the jawbone at the position where the new tooth will be attested. After three to six months, the screw is completely fused with the bone, and a dental expert attaches a replacement crown to the tiny metal post protruding from the jaw. Now that we have deliberated upon the basics of a dental implant let’s try and answer the looming question of how many times a crown needs to be fixed on to the implant.

The Crown of a Dental Implant
Most patients receive an implant over several months. Several appointments, surgeries, and diagnostics tests are a veritable part of a dental implant procedure. As we have already mentioned, the dental crown placement atop the titanium implant on the jawbone is the concluding step of the process. It is noteworthy to highlight that it takes between three months to six months for a crown to be attested after the implant is fused into the jaw bone. The underlying criterion is that the titanium implant has to be adequately fused into the overall jaw. The entire place needs to be healed for the placement of the crown. 

In conclusion, opting for traditional dental implants is a long and tedious process, but it is worth all the patience as the culmination is fantastic. But, to counter the longevity of the dental implant procedure, one-day implants have been innovated that can be fixed into a person’s jaw on the day of the appointment. 

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