Dealing with dental problems can often be uncomfortable and painful. Many patients go without treatment for a dental problem for months at a time, often due to financial problems. Allowing a dental issue to go unresolved for any length of time can be disastrous to a patient’s overall health. It can allow the problem to increase in severity, as well as allow it to affect other teeth and the gum around the tooth. This is why many Annapolis area dentists, like Annapolis Dental Associates, encourage patients to see a dentist as soon as the first symptoms of a dental problem appear.
In the case of an infected tooth, a patient should seek a dental professional’s help as soon as possible. An infected tooth can cause serious health risks to the patient, especially if the infection has a chance of entering the bloodstream. A Dentist in Annapolis will prescribe antibiotics, and a pain reliever if necessary, before doing any work on the tooth because of the health risks. If the tooth is worked on before the infection is gone, the infection can enter the bloodstream while the dentist works. The antibiotics will usually clear the infection out within five to six days, making it safe for the dentist to work. In most cases, an infected tooth will have a root canal performed on it. A root canal will remove the nerves from inside the tooth’s roots. When finished, the dentist will then crown the tooth.
In more severe cases, a Dentist in Annapolis may have to extract the tooth that is causing the problems. This is usually only done in extreme cases, where the tooth is broken down too much to repair. The tooth will be extracted entirely, and most dentists will recommend replacing it with an implant. Dentures and bridges will still be an option, but many dentists prefer implants over these options. Dentures and bridges will wear the bone down beneath them over time. Implants, on the other hand, will promote bone growth due to their metal anchors acting as the original tooth’s roots when chewing. The anchor will move around as the patient chews, exciting the bone and promoting normal bone growth.
