Damaged Or Infected Teeth Are Repaired and Preserved with Root Canal Treatment
Root canal treatments are useful for repairing or treating a badly damaged or infected tooth instead of removing it. The term root canal refers to the cleaning of the canals inside the tooth’s root. Earlier root canal treatments were painful and often dreaded by most who preferred tooth extraction over root canal treatment. In this article, you will find root canal treatment explained to convince you the treatment is no longer painful as earlier and helps to preserve your damaged or infected tooth.
Root canal therapy was earlier fearful because dentists neither had modern anesthetics nor the technology to perform a therapy to preserve teeth. Dentists had to rely on available methods for anesthetizing patients when providing the treatment. However, modern-day anesthetics and dentistry innovations make it convenient for the dentist in Coquitlam, BC, to perform this therapy on patients and preserve their teeth.
An Infected Tooth Requires Root Canal Therapy to Preserve It
Your teeth have a soft center called dental pulp, which extends from the visible part of the tooth to the tip of the tooth’s root in the jawbone. The pulp houses the nerves, connective tissue, and blood vessels. If your tooth has cracks or a deep cavity, bacteria can penetrate the pulp. Leave the infected tooth untreated, and the bacteria, along with the decaying material, causes a severe infection or a dental abscess. The condition leads to the death of the pulp, bone loss, and tooth loss.
You will experience some signs in terms indicating you need root canal treatment. The indications include swelling around the neck and face, a cavity in your tooth, to take or pain, swelling in your gums, and sensitive teeth.
The Dental Procedure for Root Canals
General dentists or Endodontists perform root canals. It would help if you prepared yourself to visit your dentist a couple of times after you are recommended the treatment. The dental procedure begins by having x-rays taken to determine the extent of the damage within your tooth.
The dentist begins the procedure by administering anesthesia for pain management. If you are anxious about dental procedures, you are provided sedation dentistry for anxiety management. The dentist places a rubber dam in your mouth to keep the tooth clean and free from saliva. An access hole is drilled in the crown of your tooth to expose the pulp chamber. Dentists use small instruments to remove the infected or diseased pulp.
After removing the infection within the tooth, the pulp chamber and root canals are clean and flushed. Reshaping or enlarging of the root canals is also performed to allow better access for fillings later.
After cleaning and drying the inside of your tooth, the dentist fills the empty pulp chamber and root canals with a rubber-like compound called gutta-percha. The filling is placed to ensure the tooth undergoing the therapy is protected from saliva.
How to Care for the Treated Tooth?
Any pain from root canal treatments begins only after the procedure is accomplished by the dentist, and the anesthesia starts wearing off. Root canal therapy is a surgical procedure for treating an infection within your tooth. It undoubtedly causes some discomfort for a few days after undergoing the treatment. However, your dentist recommends over-the-counter painkillers or prescribes potent medications if you find the pain unbearable. The dentist advises you to have the tooth restored with a permanent filling or a dental crown as soon as possible to protect it from fractures.
Why You Need Additional Restoration on Your Treated Tooth?
Removal of the pulp from within your tooth renders it fragile, making it prone to breakage and fractures. You must have the tooth restored either with a permanent filling or a dental crown if you prefer having a realistic-looking tooth.
You can revisit your dentist after about a week of undergoing root canal treatment. Your dentist ensures the infection is eliminated by taking x-rays of your tooth before recommending an excellent option for the restoration as desired by you. You can have dental fillings placed in the tooth or prefer dental crowns made from porcelain and matching the color of your other teeth. Dental crowns protect your teeth from future damage while returning them to full functionality in a couple of appointments. The restoration is customized for your mouth and placed by the dentist on the affected tooth to ensure you don’t have any issues in your mouth.
What do you do if you have damaged or infected teeth? Preserving them with Root canal treatments is the best option available to you. Learn about how you can do so in this article.