Can a Root Canal Be Done on a Front Tooth?
Our back teeth, those big, strong molars, are the ones that do a lot of the work when it comes to grinding down our food before it goes down the pipe. They also have more surface area with little crevices and grooves where food particles can often get stuck. Put those two things together and you can see why it’s more common for the back teeth to develop infections that may need root canals. So, what happens if you have an issue with one of your front teeth and it requires a root canal? We have the answers!
How a Front Tooth Root Canal Works
Regardless of whether the tooth is in the front or in the back, the general root canal procedure is really the same. We start by accessing the inner pulp of the tooth, remove the infected material, clean and shape the area, and eventually place a dental restoration, like a dental crown, on top to fully restore the tooth.
The big difference with the procedure is that with back teeth, we create a hole in the top surface of the tooth to access the inside while with the front tooth, we need to make that hole from the back. There’s also the fact that sometimes a front tooth doesn’t require a whole dental crown and instead can be restored using just a filling.
The Difference Between Front & Back Root Canals
Many people consider root canals on front teeth to be “easier” because of the recovery afterwards. Since front teeth are thinner and have less pulp inside, it’s a faster healing process overall. It may only take you a few days to be completely recovered! It’s normal to feel a bit of discomfort right after a root canal as the local anesthesia wears off but this is often less than with a back tooth since it was a smaller area being treated.
Do you need root canal therapy on a front tooth? Contact North Richland Hills Dentistry today to set up your appointment at our practice!