At Lakewood Dental Group, we want to make sure that our patients get the exceptional dental care that they deserve without sacrificing their comfort. That’s why our skilled dentists, Dr. Shaun Sigurdson and Dr. Mihir Patel, provide patients with tooth-saving root canals in Dallas, TX.
In the past, the thought of needing a root canal made most patients quake with fear. Today, however, root canal therapy is a much more comfortable experience, thanks in large part to precision technology, like the Apex Locator.
What is the Apex Locator?
The Apex Locator is a tool that helps Dr. Sigurdson and Dr. Patel find the very end, or apex, of a tooth below the gumline. The locator is extremely precise and can identify the apex of a tooth within a quarter of a millimeter. Talk about precision technology!
How is the Apex Locator used in a root canal?
When the interior of a tooth–known as the pulp–gets infected, patients have two options: a tooth extraction or a root canal. At Lakewood Dental Group, our team will do everything we possibly can to save a tooth. So, we will only suggest a tooth extraction as a last-ditch effort to save a patient’s oral and overall health.
A root canal is a tooth-saving procedure in which our team carefully removes the infected material within a tooth before filling and sealing it with a dental crown. The Apex Locator helps Dr. Sigurdson and Dr. Patel find exactly where the tooth root ends, which allows them to completely remove all of the infection. As a result, the Apex Locator contributes to the nearly 98% success rate of root canal therapy.
Furthermore, knowing exactly where to remove the infection and where to fill the tooth afterward means that patients experience significantly less pain than traditional root canals. It also means that it’s less likely for any residual infection to remain in the tooth after the procedure, which can result in repeated root canal therapy.
Can’t I just take antibiotics for a tooth infection?
While antibiotics may help mask some of the symptoms of an infected–or abscessed–tooth, they will not get rid of the infection completely. In fact, the bacteria in the tooth may become resistant to antibiotics after some time, leading to an even more aggressive and painful infection.
The Apex Locator is designed to help our team diagnose the extent of the infection so that we can completely remove the infected material. This doesn’t just save our patients’ oral and dental health–it saves their overall health, too.
What happens if I don’t get a root canal for an infected tooth?
Leaving an abscessed tooth untreated can have disastrous effects on patients’ oral and overall health. The infection can spread to surrounding teeth, gums, and bone tissue. Eventually, the infection will find its way into the bloodstream, which results in a life-threatening condition known as sepsis.
An infected tooth is a dental emergency and must be treated as quickly as possible. A root canal using the Apex Locator is a patient’s best bet at saving their tooth and health.
Ask Our Team If a Root Canal Is Right for You
If you think you have an infected tooth, then don’t wait–schedule a root canal with our Lakewood dentists now. New and existing patients can call our Dallas dental office at (214) 827-1885, or they can send us a message online now.
