Will a Past Root Canal Procedure Affect Dental Implants in Any Way?
Dental implants are the latest revolution in dental restoration. Dental problems can happen to anyone. It doesn’t matter how well you try to maintain perfect oral health.
Certain medications can dry out the mouth and cause cavities. Calcium deficiencies can leach minerals from the teeth and make them susceptible to damage.
There are a variety of problems that can occur in spite of regular brushing and flossing.
How Does Tooth Damage Occur?
Tooth damage is very common among Americans and around the globe, especially as they get older. And when these problems occurred in the past, people had few alternatives for restoration.
They might qualify for a bridge or a root canal on a severely damaged tooth. But tooth damage is insidious. The teeth can become brittle and start to weaken even if they still look like they are intact.
It seems like there is no way to stop the damage once it starts. Even if the tooth is filled with filling material, this material can deteriorate and harbor bacteria that continue to erode the tooth.
Although proper hygiene and dental maintenance can correct eroding fillings before they become a problem, fillings have never been recognized as a permanent solution. Although they can last decades, teeth typically rot out as the filling appears to be intact.
The teeth are primarily damaged by acids that are produced by the typical bacterial colonies that form in the mouth. These acids soften the tooth enamel and form into hard plaques called tartar along the gumline.
At times, the tooth will become so severely damaged that the tooth will need a root canal procedure to save it and prevent severe abscess infections.
What is a Root Canal?
A root canal is a special dental procedure that is used when the roots of a tooth are infected or when drilling into the tooth will compromise the pulp chamber.
Once the pulp inside the tooth is exposed to air and bacteria, it won’t take long for that bacteria to destroy the delicate nerves and blood vessels of the pulp. While there are methods, such as pulp capping, to preserve teeth even once they have rotted to the pulp chamber, the use of these techniques is still risky.
The root canal procedure begins with X-rays to assess the health of the tooth and the roots. Then, the dentist will drill a large access hole dead-center into the top of the tooth. They will also remove any weak tooth material and drill the tooth down until they have a solid post-like structure to fit an artificial tooth over.
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Essentially, the root canal allows patients to use their natural roots as a post for fitting an artificial tooth. They can chew with artificial teeth called crowns that often are specially molded by a lab to look and bite just like the original natural teeth. Crowns are typically made of metal or porcelain material.
A root canal is an extensive procedure. The dentist has to keep cleaning the pulp chamber of the tooth and the roots to remove any soft cellular material. They have to use special curved files called root canal files in progressive diameters to clean deep into the roots. If they do not clean the teeth properly, they will harbor bacteria and rot out from the inside.
One of the chief complaints of root canals is that infections often do linger on after the procedure. The gums will become tender at the roots and become irritated and itchy. The other disadvantage of a root canal is that many root canals will only be effective for about seven years or so.
After that, the teeth can become fragile and fracture or break off. This is because the blood vessels inside the teeth remineralize it. Once they are removed, the tooth is essentially dead and may not last very long. While some people can retain teeth for a lifetime after a root canal, many other patients need additional care.
Dental Implants Following a Root Canal
When the root canal and crown are no longer comfortable or have deteriorated, the only thing that a patient can do is get dentures or dental implants.
A dental implant works on nearly the same principle as a root canal but uses a titanium post that is infused into the bone instead of the natural root for a crown to sit on top.
But dental implants are a permanent solution that carries far fewer risks of deterioration and complications than root canal procedures. Because dentists are using state-of-the-art 3D imaging and the highest quality of materials, dental implants are durable and safe.
While patients do not get dental implants immediately after a root canal procedure, dental implants can be fitted soon after a root canal fails. The tooth must first be extracted. In most cases, the dentist will recommend that you give the site six months or more to heal.
If you fail to replace failed root canals with dental implants, you will face significant bone loss. This can make your face look sunken in and gaunt as you age. In just the first year, your jawline bone can recede by over 20 percent. You’ll notice how sunken the sockets are compared to your other teeth. This is because the jawbone needs stimulation from the teeth to retain its strength and to remineralize growth.
Who Are the Best Candidates for Dental Implants?
According to Marc Lazare, an expert in dental implants in NYC, almost anyone can qualify for dental implants if they have severely damaged or missing teeth. The only time when there may be difficulties is when the patient suffers from issues in regards to healing properly.
People who have severe diabetes or poor bone density may face complications. Other types of procedures implant the tooth above the bone that may be right for them. Any patient may also consider using ordinary dentures as an alternative. The problem with dentures, however, is that they do not stimulate new bone growth like implants and can lead to a weakened and sunken jawline if many teeth are missing.
So This was it for today. I hope you have found this post helpful. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
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