Making your semiannual trip to the dentist and brushing twice a day can do a lot for the longevity and overall health of your smile. If you keep up with maintaining your dental hygiene, you’re less likely to need a more serious visit to your dentist in Burke VA.
As we are only humans, it’s natural to slip up from time to time and neglect some aspects of maintaining our dental hygiene, like forgetting to floss. Slip-ups, pushing off the dentist, and even consuming certain foods or beverages can increase our likelihood that cavities may form.
If the cavity is deep enough, or if a crack in your tooth is left for too long, an infection may develop in the pulp of your tooth. When this happens, your experienced dentist in Burke VA will tell you that you need a root canal treatment.
Root canal. Most of us have heard a friend or family mention getting one before. In fact, it’s such a common procedure that more than 15 million root canal treatments are performed every year in America, most commonly occurring in a person’s thirties or forties.
It’s an undesirable yet necessary procedure in which the infection inside the tooth is eliminated and then cleaned, filled, and sealed. The process is designed to eliminate bacteria from the infection, prevent reinfection, and save the natural tooth.
Although your dentist in Burke VA should be able to catch your cavities early, putting off your appointment can increase your risk of needing a root canal procedure. If you haven’t visited your dentist recently and you are showing signs of needing treatment, you should make an appointment right away. Early signs that a root canal procedure is needed include severe tooth pain while chewing, high sensitivity to hot or cold, darkening of the tooth, or swollen gums in the area of the infected tooth.
Because it is such a common procedure that has made many advancements and improvements over time, it has a high rate of success. The procedure will take your dental professional at Burke Parkway Dental between thirty minutes to just over an hour depending on your tooth’s condition. The procedure will not impede too heavily on your day as it will allow you to return to your regularly scheduled routine with only mild discomfort for up to a few days.
If you want to prevent possible infection and make sure your teeth remain cavity and pain-free, experts recommend brushing your teeth regularly and visiting your dentist twice a year. Your dentist can catch problems early, even before the pain or other symptoms become an obvious indicator. If treatment is not performed, bacteria can build up and spread to the surrounding bone and teeth.
Catch your cavities early and prevent the need for a more serious visit to your dentist by scheduling a dental check-up today. For more information on Burke Parkway Dental’s treatments and services, call us today (703) 429-0665.
S. Carpenter