The root canal treatment is a dental procedure that is used to treat and save teeth that have become diseased or decaying. Your dentist will remove the pulp and nerve from your tooth during the root canal operation. After that, the interior component will be cleaned and sealed. If the therapy is not completed, the surrounding tissue around your tooth will become infected, which can lead to the creation of an abscess.
Why is it necessary to remove tooth pulp?
When your tooth’s pulp, or nerve tissue, is destroyed, it rots, allowing germs to develop inside the pulp hollow. Abscessed teeth or infections can be caused by these germs, as well as other decaying fragments. An abscess is a pus-filled pocket that generally appears on the skin. It occurs when an infection spreads beyond the base of a tooth.
Aside from abscess, a tooth’s root infection can cause swelling in other areas of the face, head, and neck. It can also induce bone loss at the root’s tip, which might harm your oral health. Furthermore, the infection may cause drainage problems when it ultimately reaches the surface from the root.
What Damages the Nerve and Pulp of a Tooth?
Acute decay, big fillings, numerous dental procedures on a particular tooth, significant physical discomfort to the face, to name a few causes, can infect, inflame, or irritate the tooth’s nerve and pulp.
What happens during a root canal procedure?
The root canal can be performed by a dentist or an endodontist. An endodontist is a dentist who specializes in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases or injuries related to the dental pulp and tooth pulp. The degree of difficulty faced in performing the procedure will determine the type of dentist who will perform it. Your dentist will go over everything with you in detail before the onset of the root canal treatment process.
The first step of the root canal is an examination of your mouth. An X-ray will be obtained to adequately assess the root canal’s morphology. If there is an infection in the jawbone, the analysis will reveal it. Because the nerve is already dead, a local anesthetic may be given to deaden the area to be treated, although it is not required. However, many dentists still employ anesthetics to put their patients at ease throughout the procedure. After that, a rubber dam will be placed entirely around the tooth to keep it dry during the surgery.
The Procedure
After that, your dentist will drill a hole in the tooth to function as an access point. Your tooth’s pulp, which contains bacteria and decaying debris, will subsequently be removed. The sides of the canals will subsequently be scraped with root canal files. The fragments are washed away with sodium hypochlorite or water regularly.
Your dentist will seal the tooth as soon as it has been thoroughly cleaned. In some circumstances, especially when there is an infection, the sealing may not be completed right away. If your root canal is not finished the same day, a temporary filling may be given to the external hole to prevent infection until your next appointment.
The interior section of the tooth will be filled during your next appointment. The filler will consist of gutta-percha, a rubber compound, and a sealer paste. A dental filling will subsequently be used to fill the exterior hole. The placing of restoration is the final stage. This can take the form of a crown or a post to appropriately safeguard the tooth. It will also prevent the tooth from fracturing and restore its full function. If you need additional dental procedures, your dentist will talk to you about them.
Does Root Canal Cause Pain?
The Root Canal procedures don’t make people do through immense pain or discomfort. . Anesthesia is used to make the site of treatment numb so that you do not feel pain.
What To Expect After Root Canal?
Once the surgery is done, you may have some sensitivity for a few days. This is due to the possibility of natural tissue redness, especially if there was illness or pain before your therapy. Your dentist will prescribe drugs to alleviate the pain and sensitivity. If the operation isn’t finished yet, avoid chewing with the restored teeth to avoid recontamination and injury to the delicate tooth.
Are Root Canals Successful?
According to the research, root canal procedures are exceedingly successful with a 90 percent success rate. Teeth that have been repaired with this technique can last a lifetime. To add on, because a repair like a filling or crown will be applied, it will not be visible to bystanders.
Are There Any Root Canal Complications?
A root canal is no exception to the rule that most medical treatments include some level of risk. After your tooth has been cleaned and cemented, there is a chance that new infections will develop. Many things can cause this, including an undiagnosed crack in the tooth’s root, a poor restoration, or the disintegration of the inner sealing substance, to name a few.
What Are The Complications With Root Canal?
Most dental treatment procedures involve some complications, the root canal is no exception. After your tooth has been cleaned and cemented, there is a probability of new infections getting developed. Some of the major causes of this problem include an undiagnosed crack in the tooth’s root, a poor restoration, or the disintegration of the inner sealing substance, etc.
Alternatives of Root Canal
The best alternative is to take proper care of your God-given teeth (if this is possible). Your natural teeth will allow you to eat without restriction, letting you consume the proper nutrition. Another important option is to replace your missing teeth with implants, partial dentures, or bridges to restore chewing function.
Root Canal Prevention
The nerve of your tooth or the pulp can get infected due to various reasons, severe tooth decay is the most prominent one. To keep them protected, you must maintain adequate oral hygiene. Regular dental appointments are also critical since they can help avoid a variety of problems. If you suffer from damage as a result of a sports-related injury, you can also use a mouthguard.
Final Thoughts
We hope that giving this blog a thorough read has helped to get a better understanding of root canal treatment. Call us if you are looking for the best root canal treatment in Houston, TX, and nearby, book an appointment at Smiles Of Memorial. Always remember that our dentist and a team of other dental professionals are here to help you in every possible way. Give us a call today.