Can a Root Canal Be Performed on a Loose Tooth?
Posted on: 23 July 2021
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Not everyone visits their dentist when they should—even when there's clear evidence that you should do so quite urgently. Yes, that troublesome tooth might be painful and discoloured, with some inflammation in the gum tissue at the base of the tooth. You might assume that you need root canal treatment, and were trying to avoid this outcome by hoping that your tooth will get better (which is never wise). But if your tooth has deteriorated even further, to the point that it has started to feel loose, then you may be wondering if it is too late for a root canal to be of any benefit.
Pulp Infection and Necrosis
Root canal treatments involve the removal of the dental pulp, which is the tooth's nerve. In a healthy tooth, this nerve remains safely protected in the pulp chamber at the centre of the tooth. When the tooth has deteriorated, destructive bacteria can breach the chamber. This results in inflammation and infection of the pulp, and even its death (pulp necrosis). It's no wonder that toothache is one of the first signs that you might need a root canal.
Periodontal Disease
However, the infection or necrosis of your dental pulp isn't causing the tooth to loosen. This is generally caused by periodontal (gum) disease. In the case of a loose tooth, an infection has spread through your gums and into the alveolar bone, which anchors the tooth. As the infection compromises this bone, the tooth's stability will progressively worsen until it falls out. It's possible to need a root canal without having periodontal disease, and vice versa. But since your tooth needs a root canal while simultaneously being destabilised by periodontal disease, it's a reasonable assumption that the two conditions are related.
Treating Both Conditions
Treatment involves addressing both conditions in order to save your tooth while reversing your periodontal disease. A dentist can perform a root canal on a loose tooth, but this will occur in conjunction with treatment for your periodontal disease. You may require nonsurgical cleaning, which is a subgingival (below the gum line) scaling and polishing. An antiseptic treatment may also be applied. Occasionally, antibiotics can be required. Your loose tooth (now free of its inflamed pulp and packed with a filling material) can need help to maintain its stability, so it might be splinted to its neighbours on either side.
Just because a deteriorated tooth has become loose, it doesn't mean that it can't be saved. It just means that you may need both a root canal and treatment for periodontal disease.