Root canal treatment may seem like a scary and indigestible thing for yourself, but it does not have to be. Because it is important to know that root canal treatments can relieve pain and protect your overall dental health, in addition, new techniques have been developed to allow dentists to With more precise and comfortable root canal treatment methods, root canal treatment is usually used to repair and preserve severely affected teeth in which the pulp and nerves of the tooth can become inflamed, irritated, and infected due to advanced caries or cases of large fillings. If you have no idea about the procedure of root canal treatment, in the following lines we provide you with everything related to this process as we recommend and suggest that you consult your dentist first.
To understand what root canal treatment is, you must first understand the anatomy of a tooth as the tooth is made up of white enamel visible to the eye, a hard layer called dentin, and a group of soft tissue called the pulp.
The root of the tooth is located below the surface of the gum as part of the root. The root canal contains the pulp tissue that consists of blood vessels, nerves, and general tissue. The pulp is important during tooth growth and development, however permanent teeth can survive without the pulp.
Because the root canal is protected by enamel and dentin, any damage to these layers of the tooth can allow bacteria to enter the root canal which can lead to infection and irritation of the gums.
When a tooth becomes infected, you may need root canal treatment. A root canal procedure involves removing infected or inflamed pulp tissue in the root canal as well as cleaning and shaping the root canal from the inside, filling, sterilizing, and cleaning the canal and teeth back up to prevent more bacteria from reaching the tooth.
If you are going to have a root canal treatment, you can expect your dentist to take some steps for root canal treatment such as:
- General dental examination and X-ray examinations to determine if root canal treatment is needed.
- Anesthetize the tooth so that you do not feel any pain it may cause.
- Use a protective cap to protect the rest of the mouth during root canal examinations.
- The doctor will make an opening in the tooth to access the root canal.
- The doctor will remove the affected tissue and clean the tooth.
- It is possible for the doctor to use a temporary filling to protect the tooth during the recovery phase, after which the doctor must set a date to return to remove the temporary filling and install a permanent filling and dental crown.
While this process may seem intimidating and unsettling to patients, root canal treatments provide great relief to patients who suffer from pain from their infected teeth, rest assured that the procedure is completely painless.
Initially, you will want to see a dentist, of course, to confirm and determine whether or not you need root canal treatment. Symptoms include:
- Feeling of pain in the gums.
- Swelling in the mouth or gums.
- Excessive sensitivity to hot and cold drinks and food.
- Feeling pain when you open your mouth.
- Pain when pressing on the teeth and jaw, or when chewing.
- Teeth discoloration.
- Broken or chipped teeth.
- Bone loss.
- Chronic headache.
- Sinus congestion.
- Gum disease problems.
Depending on how well your doctor diagnoses your condition and determining the extent of your tooth infection or other oral problems, you may be able to avoid having a root canal treatment. Here are some options you can learn about with your dentist:
- Dental implants or extractions: The tooth may be so infected that the root canal cannot be treated in any way. In this case, the doctor will advise you to extract the tooth and replace it with other teeth through the dental implant process. This is a more complicated procedure, but it is important at the same time. Therefore, most people prefer to opt for root canal treatment when possible.
- Dental extractions and dentures: If your dentist extracts your tooth, you may be able to use dentures and bridges instead of implants to replace the affected teeth so that the bridges are secured to the teeth so that they have the support they need to stay in place and perform their normal role.
