What is Root Canal Treatment?
Root canals are part of your tooth. In short, it is a vacant section of your tooth that contains the blood vessels, nerve tissues, and other cells called the pulp. Teeth can get damaged because of the cavity and you might need dental procedures to relieve you from the pain and discomfort.
However, there is an alternative option where you can save your teeth. It is called root canal therapy or treatment. But it is not that every kind of damaged tooth can be recovered by this treatment. It depends on certain factors.
What is the process?
It is the dental procedure of removing the infected pulp from your tooth. After the removal of the pulp from inside the tooth, it is filled with suitable material and sealed. During the procedure, the nerve is disconnected from the tooth roots.
As a result, you don’t feel the sensation in your tooth after the procedure is completed. Root canal treatment is designed to flush the bacteria from the damaged canal. That way, it prevents reinfection in your tooth and saves your natural tooth.
When do you need a root canal treatment?
When the pulp or nerve tissue inside your tooth gets damaged, it breaks down. As such, bacteria begin to grow and multiply within the chamber. The decayed debris along with the bacteria causes infection.
It is a kind of pocket filled with puss toward the roots of your tooth. This causes an infection in the whole root canal. Also, this can lead to other problems such as:
- Loss of bone around the root
- Swelling might spread to other areas such as the head, neck, or face
- A hole might appear on the side of the tooth that drains the puss into the gums
Signs that tell you that a root canal treatment is a must:
- Tooth sensitivity that stays in place for some time after you eat or drink something cold or hot
- Cracked or chipped teeth
- Painful or swollen gums
- Pimples on the gums
- Intense pain when biting or chewing
- Darkened gums or deep decay
How is the procedure conducted?
A root canal treatment is done at a dental clinic. And, it is done in a few steps. Also, it might take between one and three sessions to complete the procedure. That’s because some teeth might have curved or multi-canals with bigger infections. Here is the procedure.
- Anesthetic – A numbing medication in small amounts is placed on the area near the decayed tooth. After that, the dentist injects the local anesthetic into the gums. While you might feel a slight pinch, it will pass quickly. The anesthetic won’t let you feel pain during the procedure.
- Removing the pulp – After your tooth is numb, the dentist makes a small opening on the top of the decayed tooth. Now, the damaged and infected pulp is exposed. It is removed by using specialized tools called files. The dentist carefully cleans all the canals in the tooth.
- Filling the canals – After the dentist removes the infected pulp, the area will be coated with antibiotics to make sure that the infection is no longer there. Also, it helps to prevent reinfection.
When the root canals are cleaned properly and disinfected, the tooth will be sealed with a sealer paste. Theoretically, your tooth is dead after root canal treatment. You won’t feel any kind of pain on the tooth because the pulp has been removed.
- Adding a crown – With the temporary filling in place, the tooth is more fragile than before. A tooth without pulp should receive nourishment from its ligament. This is what attached the tooth to the jaw bone. While the supply is sufficient, after some time the tooth becomes brittle.
This is when you need to install a crown over the tooth to provide more protection. You should not chew food with the tooth until the crown is installed. After the crown is placed, you can use the tooth to chew food.
Benefits of root canal treatment:
- Relieves you from severe pain
- Retain your tooth
- Long-lasting and durable
- Gives you natural chewing abilities
- Protect neighboring teeth
- Saves you time and money spend on regular dental clinic visits
Conclusion
A root canal treatment is a restorative procedure. And, people who took the treatment enjoyed positive results throughout their lives.