Bacteria can sometimes get into the pulp of a tooth and create an infection. Root canal therapy is then required to save the tooth when this happens. The infected pulp is removed and the tooth is sealed to avoid reinfection.
What exactly is a root canal?
A root canal is a dental procedure that relieves pain caused by an infected or abscessed tooth. During the root canal surgery, the infected pulp is removed. Following that, the tooth’s inside surfaces are cleaned and sterilized, and a filling is placed to cover the gap and prevent reinfection.
When would one need a root canal?
When oral bacteria infect the pulp inside your tooth, root canal therapy is required. This is most common when a cavity is left untreated over an extended period of time. It can also happen if your tooth is broken or damaged as a result of trauma.
What are some of the warning indications that you could need root canal therapy?
- Toothache that doesn’t go away: Tooth discomfort can be caused by a variety of dental problems. If you have pain deep inside your tooth, you may need root canal therapy. You might also feel pain in your jaw, cheeks, or other teeth.
- Heat and cold sensitivity: If you have pain when drinking hot coffee or eating ice cream, you may require root canal therapy. If the soreness lasts longer than a few seconds, this is especially true.
- Swollen gums: When a tooth becomes infected, pus can collect around it, causing the gums to swell.
- A pimple or a boil can sometimes form on your gums: It’s possible that the pimple will drain pus from the diseased tooth, leaving an unpleasant taste or odor behind.
- Swelling in the jaw: When pus does not drain from the area, the outcome is a swollen jaw. Your jaw may enlarge as a result of this.
- Discoloration of the tooth: When the pulp of a tooth becomes infected, it discolors, giving the tooth a darker appearance. A shortage of or poor blood supply to the tooth can cause this.
- When pressure is applied, there is pain: It’s conceivable that the nerves around the pulp have been destroyed if you suffer pain when chewing or touching your teeth.
- Broken/Cracked/Chipped Tooth: If you break or shatter a tooth in an accident, while playing sports, or by biting down on anything hard, bacteria can reach all the way into the tooth pulp.
- Loose Tooth: The term “loose tooth” refers to a tooth that has gotten infected. Because the fluid from an infected pulp can soften the tooth’s supporting bone, this is the case
How popular is root canal therapy? Every day, about 41,000 root canals are performed in the United States, according to the American Association of Endodontists. This translates to about 15 million root canals performed each year.
Preparing for root canal therapy.
Any questions you have concerning the operation can be answered by your healthcare professional before the surgery begins. You can prepare for your root canal treatment by doing the following:
- Take all drugs exactly as directed:
- Antibiotics or anti-inflammatory drugs may be prescribed a few days before your appointment, especially if you have a lot of infections.
- Don’t smoke: Tobacco compounds obstruct your body’s natural ability to heal.
- Avoid smoking for at least a few days before your root canal appointment, and if possible, quit completely.
- Consume a well-balanced meal: Because the local anesthetic used during root canal therapy will numb your mouth for a few hours, it’s a good idea to eat something before your visit.
The Root Canal Procedure – What Happens
- Take all drugs exactly as directed:
- Antibiotics or anti-inflammatory drugs may be prescribed a few days before your appointment, especially if you have a lot of infections.
- Don’t smoke: Tobacco compounds obstruct your body’s natural ability to heal.
- Avoid smoking for at least a few days before your root canal appointment, and if possible, quit completely.
- Consume a well-balanced meal: Because the local anesthetic used during root canal therapy will numb your mouth for a few hours, it’s a good idea to eat something before your visit.
Your healthcare professional will take dental X-rays of the afflicted tooth before beginning the root canal procedure. This aids in determining the amount of the damage and ensuring that root canal therapy is the best course of action. The root canal procedure encompasses the following steps:
Anesthesia.First, the affected tooth and surrounding gums are numbed using a local anesthetic. by deNitrous oxide, oral sedatives, and intravenous (IV) sedation are all common drugs used by dentists to calm and relax you. If you have suffered from dental anxiety, your dentist will probably advise sedation.
Placing a dental dam.A dental dam is a tiny rubber dam placed over the area before root canal treatment begins. This is done to isolate the tooth during the procedure and also to keep the tooth dry. Creating an access hole.
A tiny incision is created in the crown of the tooth, this is called the access hole. The pulp is then accessed through this.
Removing the pulp.The tissues, blood arteries, and tissues inside the tooth are then taken out using miniscule dental devices.
The canals are shaped.The pulp chamber and root canals are disinfected, cleaned, and shaped after the pulp has been taken out.
The canals are filled.The empty canals are subsequently filled with a material called gutta-percha. This is a rubbery and flexible dental material.
The tooth is sealed.A temporary dental filling is used to seal the tooth which in turn, prevents bacteria from re-appearing.
Putting the finishing touches on the restoration.
In most cases, a dental crown is required in order to safeguard the treated tooth and also restore your bite. Crowns are made to order, and the fabrication process takes two to three weeks. Once the crown is ready, your dentist will remove the temporary dental filling and place the dental crown. Sometimes, it is possible to get the crown in the same appointment.
Many people worry that root canal therapy will result in tooth pain. Most people have instant relief after treatment since the source of inflammation is removed during the process. Call your dentist right away if you have throbbing pain after a root canal.
A general dentist or an endodontist (a root canal specialist) conducts root canal therapy. Since teeth towards the front of the mouth have fewer roots, general dentists can typically fix them. You may be sent to an endodontist if you need root canal therapy on a tooth with many roots or if your case is complicated.