What You Should Know About Root Canal Treatment
Posted on: 24 November 2020
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Root canal treatment used to be quite painful years ago, but with recent developments in the dental industry, that is now a thing of the past. Having a decaying tooth is likely to be even more agonizing compared to a root canal procedure.
The roots are what connects your teeth to your jaw. The main job of the pulp is to keep your teeth nourished. You are able to sense extreme cold and hot temperatures through nerve action of the pulp. Root canal treatment seeks to eliminate problems that may arise inside the pulp in your tooth.
Reason Behind Root Canal Treatment
Root canal treatment is done to prevent a tooth from extraction. The main reasons why you might need root canal treatment is if your tooth is decayed or destroyed from trauma. If either of the two happens, the pulp structure is threatened by infection, and if left untreated, it may result in permanent tooth damage. There are some instances where a tooth may not have any visible symptoms, but would still require root canal treatment. However, this isn't very common.
Symptoms that Require Treatment
The main symptoms associated with problems with your root canal include:
- Constant pain when chewing
- Swollen gums
- Discoloured tooth
Extreme Sensitivity to Temperature
Failing to get treatment for a root canal poses the risk of developing abscesses in your mouth. They end up causing you a lot of other problems, including pus and bleeding from your gums and a great deal of pain. Further damage could extend to the bone, something that results in oral infection.
How is the Procedure Performed?
An endodontist is a specialist for root canal treatment. To fix issues with your root canal, they first determine whether the tooth can be salvaged from root canal treatment. They do this by administering X-Ray imaging on the targeted tooth. After that, they put you under local anaesthesia to block out pain during the procedure.
Part of the reason why most patients are hesitant for root canal treatment is that they worry that the pain might be unbearable. But recent dental developments have devised a way to keep you relaxed during treatment. This is done through the administration of nitrous oxide. The dentist then drills out the decayed part of your tooth to access the pulp. Everything inside the pulp is scrubbed out, and then a filling is used to strengthen what is left.
For additional information on root canal treatment, reach out to a local dentist.