The phrase “root canal” can make people nervous. Part of their fear is a misunderstanding of it, and part is because, for decades, the procedure has been vilified by movies and television. Root canals are not painful, and they are not bad to go through.
The Purpose of a Root Canal
A root canal is when they remove an infection that has developed in your tooth’s pulp. This is an area in the gum at the tooth root. The infection can be very painful, cause swelling in your jaw, and lead to tooth loss if not treated.
The infection will enter into the tooth root through an injured tooth where it becomes cracked or from a cavity that has proceeded down into the tooth. Either way, it’s a source of serious toothaches and must be dealt with.
The Process
The dentist doesn’t give you a root canal on the spot. First, the staff will take X-rays to determine any damage done. Hygienists might perform a cleaning, allowing the dentist to see better. The dentist will look inside your mouth and talk about what the X-rays indicate. After you and the dentist have decided for you to get the root canal, you will then book the appointment for the root canal.
Your dentist might prescribe antibiotics or pain medicine to prevent the infection from worsening until your root canal appointment.
The Root Canal Appointment
Root canals are not much different from other kinds of dental work, like filling cavities or capping teeth. They don’t hurt any more, either.
Some dentists will monitor your oxygen and blood pressure prior to starting a root canal. That’s standard for any oral surgery or procedure but, in terms of taking vitals first, that flag depends on office protocol. A root canal is not a dangerous procedure, and vitals are not required.
At some point during your visit, the dentist or staff will make impressions of the tooth or teeth being treated. That is for the crown later.
The dentist first rubs a topical anesthetic on your gum near the infected tooth, so the injection of numbing medicine doesn’t hurt. Then they’ll administer numbing anesthetic so you feel no pain as the root canal is performed.
Getting to the Root
The dentist has to drill into your tooth to access the root. This occurs at the top of your tooth. The circular drill makes some noise, but it doesn’t hurt, and it leaves a tiny hole. While doing this, they will also clean out the cavity space on the surface of the tooth.
Once at the pulp, the dentist brings small tools to extract infection, which will include dead or infected pulp. During this process, they will swap out devices. The devices are small and resemble tiny toothpicks. The dentist repeats this process multiple times to ensure that all infected pulp is removed.
Clear pathways for disinfecting chemicals to travel along all the canal systems to the center of the tooth, keeping the tooth safe from more damage.
Smoothing Out the Roots
The subsequent step is that the dental specialist shapes and smooths out the root trench territory. This requires that the sections around the root should be wider to efficiently clean and seal the root. Dentists use all manner of high-tech equipment to do so. These include advanced laser irrigation, bioceramic sealers, and a computerized drill that locates the exact root. These minimize the size required for the canal and allow for accuracy of work, which reduces the risk to the tooth and improves the speed of the procedure.
Sealing the Canal
When a dentist removes an infected tooth pulp, it leaves a hollow point. That can’t be left empty because a food particle can slip in and throw a feeding frenzy with any bacteria that was left over. The dentist packs the canals with a material called gutta-percha. This rubbery biomedical substance plugs up the empty spaces of the canals so nothing enters them.
Next, the dentist applies an outer layer of bioceramic cement. This forms a tough antibacterial seal that assists in bone healing. This process keeps bacteria from surrounding tissues from reentering the tooth and reinfecting it.
The Final Step
The final phase of a root canal treatment is the placement of a crown over the infected tooth. That might happen either in the same appointment or in a follow-up appointment. It will vary depending on whether the dental office can create the customized crowns on-site or needs to send impressions to a lab to make them.
Dental offices that create their own crowns can place your crown on the same day as your root canal. Those who have a lab will put in a temporary crown and schedule a follow-up appointment for you.
Crowns today can be made from many materials and can resemble your natural tooth. Crowns that look natural are usually made from such materials as ceramic and resin. You can also use gold and metals, although they are more visible.
Gold crowns are the most durable, but they also are the most costly. If this is the case, a ceramic crown can be equally effective at the critical defense of your tooth against any future damage.
A root canal is not a big procedure. Dentists do them all the time, and they are necessary in order to address an infection. Your dentist will probably also give you antibiotics after the procedure on the chance that you’ll be reinfected. Contact us today and inquire: Do I need a root canal for a toothache?
