How to treat an infected tooth

An infected tooth is primarily caused by severe tooth decay, trauma to the tooth, such as when it is broken or chipped, and gingivitis or in more serious cases, gum disease.

At Perfect Teeth in Cairns we can safely and effectively protect your teeth with our aesthetically pleasing tooth coloured fillings….

If you are suffering from a cavity, here at Perfect Teeth in Cairns we can protect and save your natural teeth with either a simple filling, or in more serious cases, with root canal therapy.  Before you worry, let us put you at ease: Root canal is commonly misconceived to be a painful dental treatment; however it should bring no more discomfort than that of a regular filling!

Determining which type of dental treatment to employ largely depends on whether damage has reached the nerve/pulp, which in this case, root canal therapy may be the best solution.

Protect your teeth with tooth coloured fillings

Patients with mild infections can benefit from tooth coloured fillings to protect their natural teeth

At Perfect Teeth we understand that the aesthetics of your smile can be important, which is why we utilise tooth coloured restorations (as opposed to silver amalgam fillings) so you can gain the dental treatment you need without compromising the appearance of your smile.

The old, conventional method of filling dental cavities was to use amalgam restorations, which have since been scrutinized for fear of toxicity.

If you currently have amalgam fillings, we can also safely and effectively replace it with tooth-coloured restorations that are comprised of a nontoxic natural looking composite resin material.

Know the warning signs – but are there any?

You may not know if you need fillings in your teeth. As small to medium holes in teeth are asymptomatic, giving no pain. In fact, decay can sometimes eat out two-thirds of the tooth from the inside and you would have no idea it is happening. This is why it is imperative to visit us here at perfect teeth in Cairns every six months for your regular clean and examination to detect these cavities before they even show symptoms..

However, some warning signs which indicate you need to see a dentist for a proper X-ray and oral examination include:

• A change in the colour on some of your teeth, indicating early decay.
• If your teeth are sensitive to hot, cold, or sweet food and drink, you may need fillings
• persistently sensitive teeth
• Toothache that lasts for more than a few minutes at a time

Save your natural tooth with endodontics (root canal therapy)

Patients in more severe cases of infection may benefit from endodontics, also known as root canal therapy, to save their natural teeth. If you are experiencing severe pain in your tooth due to the tooth pulp becoming damaged or infected, you may need root canal therapy. At Perfect Teeth we believe a better understanding of root canal therapy helps lessen patients’ concerns.

A root canal treatment is a procedure that restores a tooth’s damaged or infected pulp, by removing the damaged tissue and restoring the integrity of the tooth structure by filling the void with a strong and durable filling. It is not uncommon for a tooth that has received root canal therapy to become brittle, to counteract this, here at Perfect Teeth we can restore the strength of your tooth with a dental crown.

Know the warning signs:

• Your tooth turns dark in colour – The by-products of the necrotic pulp that leach into the porous tooth layer cause this discoloration.
• Pain when eating or with pressing on the tooth. The infected that has spread out the root tip causes the supporting structures (gum and bone) to be affected.
• You have a ‘draining fistula’ – a pimple on the gum that is filled with pus
• bad taste or bad odour in the mouth

Your root canal treatment will most likely be performed over two appointments and you should experience no more discomfort than you would while receiving a regular filling. For patients with anxiety, we also offer sedation dentistry such as Nitrous Oxide, local or general anesthetic, to put you at ease throughout the entire process.

For more information on tooth coloured restorations, root canal therapy or to book an appointment at our Cairns Redlynch dental practice, please contact us.