Root canal therapy uses advanced techniques to save teeth that are badly damaged by deep decay or trauma, preserving teeth, maintaining your bite balance and your smile, and preventing more widespread infections. But what happens if you’re allergic to the materials used in a root canal treatment? Does that mean you’ll lose the tooth? Not necessarily.
At Compassionate Endodontists New York/NYC, our team offers holistic root canal therapy using materials that are more compatible with your body, so you can have treatment despite allergies or sensitivities. In this post, learn what a holistic root canal entails.
Your teeth are composed of three primary “layers” — the super-hard outer layer of enamel, the underlying layer of dentin, and the interior pulp portion. The pulp portion contains nerves and blood vessels that support the health of the tooth.
When you get a cavity, it typically begins in the outer enamel layer and “grows” into the deeper layers. Cavities that affect the outer layers usually can be treated with fillings. But when a cavity extends into the pulp part of the tooth, it frequently requires a root canal.
Root canal treatment removes the damaged pulp part of the tooth, along with the nerves and blood vessels it contains. The pulp, nerves, and blood vessels travel through narrow channels or canals from the very center of the tooth down to the tip of the root where the tooth rests in the jaw bone.
Once the inner tooth material is removed, your dentist seals the sides of the canal to prevent future problems, then fills it with a special material — most often a material called gutta-percha. Following the filling, the tooth is surrounded by a dental crown. Crowns add another layer of protection for the tooth while providing added strength.
Holistic root canal therapy was developed specifically for people with allergies or sensitivity reactions to materials used during traditional root canal treatment. Instead, our team uses a variety of materials deemed “biocompatible” — that is, materials that are compatible with your body’s own tissues.
Gutta-percha is one potential source of allergic reactions for many patients. Harvested from a tree, this rubberlike material is similar to latex, a material widely associated with allergies in many people. Holistic root canals use other materials to fill treated teeth, preventing gutta percha-related reactions.
Holistic root canal therapy also uses alternative materials to seal teeth and to treat infections inside the tooth. We also offer laser treatment as a potential alternative to destroy harmful bacteria without relying on materials that could trigger allergic reactions.
If you have allergies, holistic root canal therapy could help you get the care you need without worrying about potential complications of post-treatment discomfort. To find out more about holistic treatment, call 929-229-0255 or book an appointment online at Compassionate Endodontists New York/NYC in New York City today.
