Root canal treatment is one of the most famous dental procedures because of its reliability and effectiveness. People who lose their teeth’ vitality usually prefer this detailed treatment to fix their teeth and make them strong and healthy again.
A tooth’s life is lost when it can not sense pressure, pain, or sensitivity. Thus, a root canal is done to maintain the tooth’s integrity and maintain the condition of its surface tissue. Therefore, a root canal helps you preserve your teeth, which were previously affected by tooth decay, infection, or trauma.
Other than opting for dental procedures, you can also start taking proper care of your dental hygiene. By doing that, the health of your teeth eventually gets better, and the risk of infection and decay decreases.
Your dental hygiene should include brushing your teeth twice a day with a good toothbrush and for two minutes is good for your teeth and gums.
Other than that, flossing and rinsing your mouth with antibacterial mouthwashes also help a lot. Avoiding sugary and acidic foods help a lot when it comes to taking care of dental hygiene.
What is the process of a root canal?
A root canal is considered a long process. It’s true that you will have to visit your dentist quite often for it which gets tiring for some people. But in the end, it will relieve you of the dreaded toothache that no one likes having.
There are also many myths regarding the root canal process because people usually hesitate while going for one. The tales are as absurd as they can get. Not only do they state that it’s very painful, but it can also make you go bankrupt, which is not very true. The root canal process is not painful at all because of the numbing anesthetic used during the process!
Following are some of the main steps, followed by a dentist while doing a root canal:
Diagnosis:
The first step to a root canal procedure is diagnosing the problem. Usually, a patient comes to the dentist when the pain is unbearable. The throbbing tooth is then examined, while the symptoms and signs are discussed with the dentist. After considering the entire situation, the dentist then makes an informed decision as to when and how your procedure will proceed.
X-rays Examination
Next, through x rays and dental examination, the condition of the tooth is thoroughly studied. Usually, there are two outcomes of an aching tooth. Either it is badly inflamed or already dead, and it requires a root canal in both ways. After determining the amount of loss done to the tooth, the dentist plans his procedure accordingly.
Anesthesia and rubber dam
The patient is given local anesthesia to calm his nerves and also to lessen the pain. This helps the tooth to get numb in a few minutes. A rubber dam is also around the tooth, isolating the tooth undergoing the root canal process.
The root canal:
First, a hole is drilled into the affected tooth so the dentist can access the inner chambers and roots of the tooth. With the help of a delicate tool, the tooth’s pulp is removed, which is a slow process. An antimicrobial solution is used to eliminate infection caused by bacteria present at the decayed tooth site.
The site is thoroughly rinsed with the answer to make sure it does not get attacked by bacteria again. The cavity of the tooth is shaped and cleaned repeatedly. After it’s done, it is filled with soft material and sealer. Once the tooth has been securely sealed, it is closed up.
What causes the tooth’s pulp to damage and ache?
There could be several reasons why your tooth pulp has damaged or decayed over time. Some of them could be:
- Trauma or injury to the face
- Unhygienic conditions of the mouth
- Cracks in the tooth’s surface
- Repetitive dental procedures
- Very large fillings that have been there for a long time.
How do I know when I need a root canal?
It’s not very hard to figure out when you should make an appointment for a root canal. This is because the toothache will be quite intense. There are also some other symptoms to look for before booking an appointment.
- Toothache or severe pain while taking a bite
- Swollen or aching gums
- Cracked tooth surface
- Sharp pains inside the tooth
- Extreme sensitivity in the affected tooth’s tissue while drinking or eating food.
- Pimples on gums that would not go away.
- Soreness radiating in the mouth from the teeth to the jaws and gums.
- Feeling ill or having a high-temperature fever because of toothaches.
- Swelling in the cheeks around the infected tooth area
How much pain does a root canal cause?
People are usually very scared and anxious before undergoing root canal treatment. Because root canals are notorious for being very painful and torturous, people are terrified of them. The procedure itself is not very painful compared to what you would experience beforehand.
Also, this pain can be dealt with over the counter pain medications such as ibuprofen. Sometimes there can be an infection in the tooth tissue treated with antibiotics like amoxicillin and clindamycin, some of the best antibiotic medicines to exist in the world of medicine.
Since root canal treatments are performed with local anesthesia, the patient does not feel any pain at all. There could be a sensation of pricking or applying pressure, but it is not painful in any case. Because of the many advancements in the dental world, there have been useful inventions to provide the utmost ease and comfort.
Do you have any other options that you can undergo if not a root canal treatment? A common misconception is that you have many choices if you want to avoid getting a root canal.
It’s not very true as the only other good choice you will have is extracting your tooth instead of treating it. After removing it, you will be left with another treatment for replacing it with dentures, dental implants, or bridges.
