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What is a root canal treatment? Everything you need to know!
A root canal treatment is a procedure used to repair and protect a tooth that’s on the verge of complete decay and infection. During the root canal therapy, the dentist removes the infected nerves and tissues inside the tooth. Following the removal of the pulp, the dentist cleans and seals its insides. With root canal therapy, your tooth will become infected and eventually have to be removed. You should also note that the words “root canal” refer to the natural cavity within the tooth that holds the pulp chamber and nerves. The tooth’s nerves aren’t essential to the tooth’s function because they only provide hot and cold sensations. As such, removing the nerve doesn’t cause any harm.
Why does the tooth pulp have to be removed during root canal therapy?
The tooth’s pulp has to be removed when it’s infected and damaged. A bacterial infection usually starts from the enamel, i.e., the outer shell of the tooth. However, if you don’t treat your cavities promptly, the bacterial infection may eventually spread to the pulp chamber and multiply. When that happens, the bacteria can eventually lead to a dental abscess, i.e., a pus-filled pocket at the ends of the tooth’s root. When you get a dental abscess, the infection spreads to the tooth’s roots, leading to severe infection. You must remove the infected pulp because the infection can also spread to other parts of your face and body. Over time, the infection will also spread to your bone tissues, leading to bone loss.
How does your tooth’s pulp gets infected?
Your tooth’s pulp may be infected for various reasons. One of the most common reasons for bacterial infection is the presence of an untreated dental crack, fracture, or cavity. Cavities occur because of bacterial infection in the tooth’s enamel. Dental cracks and fractures may occur because of accidents, fluctuating temperatures, or even tooth grinding. Regardless of why you have cavities and cracks, they can become hotspots for bacterial infection, which can eventually drain into your pulp chamber and the rest of your body.
What happens during root canal therapy?
During the root canal, the dentist or endodontist will examine your teeth and take dental x-rays to determine the spread of the infection. The dentist will apply local anesthesia to numb the areas around your tooth, which ensures that you don’t feel much pain or discomfort during the dental procedure. Local anesthesia isn’t always necessary because your tooth’s sensory nerve is probably dead anyway, but it’s applied just to be cautious. The dentist will apply a rubber dam around your tooth to protract it from saliva during the dental procedure. The dentist will drill an access hole into your tooth to reach the infected pulp, nerves, and debris.
The dentist will remove all of the debris and nerves, cleaning out the tooth using root canal files. The dentist will use a series of root canal files of different sizes to remove all of the debris from the tooth, scraping and scrubbing its sides clean. Finally, the dentist will use sodium hypochlorite or water to flush away all of the debris. Once the tooth is thoroughly cleaned, the dentist will seal it using gutta-percha or another similar material. In some cases, if they find that you still have a bacterial infection, the dentist may apply some medication to your tooth and ask you to return after a week. After sealing the insides of your tooth with a sealer paste or gutta-percha, the dentist will cover up the exterior holes using a tooth-colored dental filling. Finally, the dentist may attach a dental crown over the tooth to protect it from further damages, which is highly likely because the tooth is left in a weakened state.
Does root canal therapy hurt?
The root canal therapy is painless because the tooth being worked on is already dead and doesn’t have sensory nerves. Furthermore, the dentist also applies local anesthesia to prevent you from feeling any pain or discomfort.
How safe is the root canal?
Root canal therapy is a completely safe procedure with a nearly flawless track record. In fact, root canal therapy is often one’s last resort, and you may suffer tooth loss and bodily infection without root canal treatment.
Why is a root canal considered oral surgery?
Root canal therapy is often considered to be a type of oral surgery because it involves drilling an access hole into your tooth. However, root canal treatment isn’t an oral surgery because the dentist doesn’t have to create incisions on your soft tissues. In fact, root canal treatment is a minimally-invasive procedure akin to dental fillings rather than oral surgery.
Why is a tooth extracted after a root canal?
In some cases, root canal treatment may not stop the infection. The dentist may find that bacterial infection has affected your tooth’s root. In that case, the dentist may have to remove the infected tooth to prevent the infection from spreading to other teeth.
Consult a dentist around me today
URBN Dental is one of the best clinics for dentistry in Houston, Texas. We have some of the most qualified dentists who determine the condition of your tooth and only recommend root canal treatment if there are no other alternatives. Our priority is to save as much of your tooth as possible. For more information, please consult an emergency dentist around me today.
Summary:
A root canal treatment is a procedure used to repair and protect a tooth that’s on the verge of complete decay and infection. During the root canal therapy, the dentist removes the infected nerves and tissues inside the tooth. Following the removal of the pulp, the dentist cleans and seals its insides. With root canal therapy, your tooth will become infected and eventually have to be removed. The root canal therapy is painless because the tooth being worked on is already dead and doesn’t have sensory nerves. Root canal therapy is often considered to be a type of oral surgery because it involves drilling an access hole into your tooth. However, root canal treatment isn’t an oral surgery because the dentist doesn’t have to create incisions on your soft tissues. In fact, root canal treatment is a minimally-invasive procedure akin to dental fillings rather than oral surgery. URBN Dental is one of the best clinics for dentistry in Houston, Texas. For more information, please consult your dentist near me today.