What Happens If You Don’t Have Root Canal Treatment in Sydney?

There is a difference between a simple cavity and an infection that requires root canal treatment. Traditionally, before modern advancements in dentistry, extraction was the only remedy for a tooth that was extensively infected. With root canal treatment, it is now easy to save an infected tooth.

Root canal therapy can save your tooth, but you must get treatment immediately. If your dentist recommends getting a root canal treatment, you must do it immediately. If not, putting off the treatment could have other harmful drawbacks.

People play with fire when they try to see how long they can go without getting a root canal. Root canals have a bit of an undeserved reputation for being painful, so the thought of undergoing the procedure can be scary for some. In reality, the procedure is very similar to having a cavity filled in, and there is minimal discomfort due to using a local anesthetic.

If you want to put off the procedure, you should know that any damage to a tooth's pulp or nerve tissue can cause bacteria to grow inside the tooth. If left unchecked, the bacteria will multiply, which can lead to a variety of complications.

1. Tooth abscess

An abscess can form if you have an infection in your tooth. An abscess is a pocket of pus that develops at the end of a tooth's root. Seek assistance from a professional right away once you notice an abscess.

2. Bone loss

If you put off getting a root canal for a long time, bacteria will attack the tip of the tooth's root, leading to severe bone loss, and soon, tooth loss.

3. Swelling and pain

You might feel less pain as the nerves die, but an infected tooth can eventually cause more pressure and painful swelling in the face, head, or neck.

4. Loss of teeth

An infection can sometimes cause the roots to rot if you wait too long. Once the root decays past a certain point, your dentist may no longer save your tooth.

5. Drainage of infection

As the bacteria grow, your tooth can become damaged to the point that a hole forms on the side of the tooth. This hole lets the infection drain into the gums, cheek, skin, and bloodstream. And once the infection reaches your bloodstream, it can cause sepsis, a potentially life-threatening condition that can damage many of your organs.

6. Systemic infections

When you have an infection in your tooth, it can spread to other parts of your body and make you feel sick. Systemic inflammation can make you more likely to get serious health problems, like a heart attack or a stroke.

Even though you might want to put off getting a root canal, you should know that the problem won't go away. Even if the pain goes away, it can be a terrible sign because the infection is still not improving. Also, the infection can get so bad that you lose part of your jaw and have reconstructive surgery.

Lastly, ignoring the problem to the point where you lose a tooth can make you more likely to get gum disease and tooth decay in your other teeth.