Root Canal Therapy
An endodontic therapy, or root canal, is a dental procedure used to treat infections in the pulp of your teeth, which is their innermost layer.
Root Canal Therapy
An endodontic therapy, or root canal, is a dental procedure used to treat infections in the pulp of your teeth, which is their innermost layer. In the US, endodontists and dentists perform over 15 million root canals annually. By taking good care of your teeth, you can frequently prevent the need for a root canal.
Why would one need a Root Canal?
If microorganisms in your mouth infiltrate the pulp of your tooth and induce inflammation, you might require a root canal (pulpitis). The pulp of your teeth could be attacked by microorganisms if:
- You have a deep cavity that needs treatment.
- You have a cracked or damaged tooth, and bacteria from plaque infects your tooth pulp.
When is Root Canal recommended to anyone? What are the signs that one needs to have a Root Canal?
You could require root canal therapy to remove an infection from a tooth. Without showing any signs, you can have infected teeth. The following could be among your symptoms:
- Persistent toothache: There are numerous causes of tooth pain. However, pain that radiates to your jaw, cheek, or other teeth, or that penetrates deeply into a tooth, may indicate an infection.
- Applying pressure is painful: The nerves around your tooth pulp may have been harmed if your tooth hurts when you chew or touch it.
- Enlarged jaw: Pus that doesn't flow away from your infected tooth may cause your jaw to bulge.
- Teeth discolored: An infection of the tooth pulp prevents blood from entering your tooth. Your tooth turns discolored as a result.
- A loose tooth: Your tooth may feel loose because the bones supporting it may become softer due to pus from an infected tooth pulp.
Procedure Details
What is the procedure of root canal?
Dental X-rays of the problematic tooth will be taken by your dentist or endodontist prior to starting therapy. To establish whether your tooth pulp is inflamed, diseased, or dead and to confirm that you will require a root canal, they might perform additional tests. They might:
- To test for sensitivity or pain, lightly tap your tooth or contact it with a hot or cold object.
- Use an electric pulp test (EPT) tool to examine whether the pulp of your teeth responds by passing a progressively higher electric current through it.
- Examine your teeth's surrounding bone and gums for any indications of swelling.
- Inquire if biting down on your tooth causes any pain.
The inflammatory pulp is removed by your dentist or endodontist during a root canal procedure. The interior of your tooth is then cleaned and sterilised, and a filling is inserted to close the opening.
Root canal treatment steps are:
- To make your infected tooth and surrounding gums numb, your provider will inject anaesthetic. Your doctor might prescribe you some medicine to help you relax if you have dental anxiety. You might feel sleepy from the drug, so you won't be able to drive straight after your treatment.
- Your healthcare professional will next cover the affected tooth and surrounding gums with a thin, flexible piece of rubber. During treatment, your tooth is kept dry by this dental dam.
- To access the pulp of your tooth, doctors drill a tiny hole in the crown of your tooth.
- Then, they remove the tissues, blood vessels, and nerves from the pulp of your tooth using tiny dental instruments.
- Your provider cleans and sanitises your pulp chamber and root canals after pulp removal.
- Next, they use gutta-percha, a flexible, rubbery dental substance, to fill the empty pulp chamber and the root canals.
- After that, your dentist places a temporary dental filling to seal the tooth. Bacteria are prevented from entering your tooth by the seal.
- Your dentist will place a dental crown on your restored tooth as the final stage. Dental crowns repair and safeguard your teeth while improving the way your teeth fit together during biting. Since dental crowns are usually created to order,