Root Canal and Your Dental Health

Root canal is a treatment which is performed to save an infection tooth, which otherwise needs to be extracted. The reason a tooth may need to be extracted is the infected pulp in the inner chamber of the tooth. The infection in the pulp can travel through the roots into the jawbone area, where it can spread to pose serious risk for the jawbone and other surrounding teeth. A timely removal of the tooth may be one of the options to stop infection from spreading but the removal brings with it the gap in the teeth that can be filled with restorative density. Or you can opt for the tooth canal treatment in which the infected pulp is removed from the tooth and, so, the tooth doesn’t need to be extracted.

Need for the removal of tooth pulp

Any damage in the tooth pulp encourages growth of bacteria in it at faster rate. As a result, the pulp becomes infected. The infection in the pulp causes pockets of pus at the end of the roots. This pocket is also known as tooth abscess. This condition can be very painful and it can cause a number of problems which include swelling in the face, neck or had, and bone loss around the tip of the root. Before the problem gets this much serious, the pulp needs to be removed.

What happens during a root canal treatment?

One thing worth mentioning about root canal treatment is that it requires more than one dental visit. This treatment is carried out by an endodontist who is skilled at diagnosing, preventing and treating dental health issues and injuries related to the dental pulp or nerve of the tooth. However, who carries out your treatment also depends upon the level of difficulty in the treatment which is required for the solution of your problem. Your dentist can be helpful in suggesting you the type of professional you need to consult.

The process starts with a dental x-rays test. The report of this test brings clear picture of tooth structure involving the image of the inner chamber where pulp is located. The dental x-rays test should help your dentist determine if there is any infection present in the inner chamber.

The treatment of infection starts with the administration of anesthesia, which may not be necessary if the pulp is dead. Then a small hole is made with the help of a drill. This hole gives endodontist the access to infected pulp. Root canal files of different sizes are used in order to get the infected pulp out of the tooth. After the infected pulp is removed, water or sodium hypochlorite is used to flush the debris away.

After cleaning of the tooth, the hole in the tooth is sealed. In some cases, the tooth is filled in the same day of cleaning. And in certain situations in which the tooth is not fully cleaned, another appointment is set at a different date for the completion of the process. Until that appointment, the tooth is temporarily filled. A medication is put inside the tooth to keep it disinfected.

During next appointment, the interior portion of the tooth is fully cleaned and is filled by a rubber compound known as gutta-percha. Then the tooth is sealed. If the tooth weakens after this process, it is strengthened with the help of crowning. That that concludes the root canal treatment.

Is it painful?

Root canal treatment has a reputation for being painful due to the fact that it had been painful in the past. However, the process has been made pain-free with the right use of anesthesia. There may be a bit of discomfort after the treatment but it should subside in a few days. If the pain is persistent, you can talk to your dentist about it.