Root Canal Treatment: Essential Things You Need to Know
Oh no! Root Canal, only the name; fleshes pain and big expenses into the mind but still, we do not know that what is a root canal?
Let’s discuss Root Canal in Detail
Root Canal therapy also calls as endodontic therapy; it is a dental treatment for removing an infection from inside a tooth and protects the tooth from future infections. It takes place in the pulp of the tooth; this place calls the root canal.
Some facts about root canal therapy
- Root canal therapy works to remove nerves from the pulp of a tooth.
- It is a pain relief procedure for the patient.
- This procedure is also refers as endodontic therapy.
- Rooty Canal therapy costs vary, but it is a less costly option.
What is Root Canal Treatment
A “Root Canal” is the hollow section of the tooth; it contains the nerve tissue, blood vessels and other cells, as pulp.
A tooth consists of crown and root, inside the crown and the root or the root canal; is the pulp. The pulp nourishes the tooth and provides moisture to the surrounding material. The nerves in the pulp work to sense hot and cold temperature as the pulp. The name of the dental procedure commonly referred as “root canal” is endodontic therapy in actual, which means “inside the tooth”, however, “root canal” term is common to use among patients.
Root Canal procedure steps
Root Canal therapy is done in three steps and it may require one to three sessions to complete.
Three steps are following:
- Cleaning the root canal
The dentist removes everything which is inside the root canal. Under local anesthesia, the dentist makes a small access hole on the surface of the tooth and removes diseased and dead pulp tissue with the help of small files. - Filling the root canal
The dentist cleans and shapes the hollow area, with the usage of tiny files and irrigation solutions. After that, your doctor fills your tooth with a rubber-like material using adhesive cement and seals canals completely. After the root canal procedure, the tooth becomes dead. There would be no pain in the tooth because related nerves and infection have been removed by the surgeon. - Adding a crown or filling
Your tooth will be in the fragile state as it was before and its pulp receives nourishment from ligament which joins the tooth and the bone. This nourishment supply is sufficient; but with the passage of time, the tooth will become brittle. So the patient needs a crown or filling which will offer protection. Till the time crown or filling becomes complete, the patient should not use the tooth, once the crown or filling takes place; the person can use the tooth again. This treatment takes one clinical visit only but if curved canals, multi canals or large infections are in the tooth then in this situation additional appointments may be needed.
How painful is it?
The patient always fears that the treatment will be painful, but if a trained dental surgeon carries the procedure, it could be relatively painless. It is interesting to know about the pain which patient feel comes from the infection; not from the treatment. Dental surgeon relieves the pain by numbing the tooth and surrounding area with the help of local anesthesia. Immediately after treatment, some tenderness is normal. This tenderness and discomfort are temporary, and pain medication may relieve it. Your dentist may prescribe an antibiotic to treat or prevent infection.
Who needs Root Canal Procedure?
Patients who feel following symptoms:-
- When the pulp injures, it could not repair itself.
- When bacteria enter the tooth pulp, through cracked tooth space.
- The bacteria will finally destroy the pulp. If the bacteria penetrate through the root openings; it may cause an infection in the bone.
- An infection will weaken the bone and break it down, ligaments around the tooth will swell, and the tooth will become loose.
- Pulp injuries make the tooth sensitive for high and low temperatures and while chewing some of the people have continuous, throbbing pain.
Without treatment, the infection will spread. Eventually, the tooth becomes loose and demands extraction. Some patients choose extraction; especially when a tooth hurts or no restoration is possible and in case of vast tooth decay, trauma or loss of bone. Removing a tooth may mean that surrounding teeth will start to move and will become crooked; it will look ugly and make bites hard. Root canal dental procedure saves the tooth and eliminates the pain. Saving natural tooth is best because nothing functions or performs as well as a natural tooth; but if it is not possible to save a tooth, the next option is a tooth implant.
Root Canal: Cost
Cost of dental treatment varies, but saving the tooth with a root canal is expensive generally. The other option is extraction; the cost of an implant or bridge to replace the tooth is more expensive. Extraction is a reason for misaligned teeth and difficulty chewing.
Root Canal Treatment Complications
Like any other procedure, in root canal procedure some complications may occur:
- If the dentist could find three root canals only, and not all four; the infection may spread to the bone
- Filling material should be reached far enough into the canal; if the root canal does not properly seal, then the infection could return.
- During the root canal procedure, the root of the tooth cracks or instruments can also break in a canal; these conditions may make treatment difficult.
- To avoid complications patient should follow the dentist’s instruction, it is important to finish the entire process. It is also essential to have a permanent restoration like a crown, once the root canal procedure becomes complete.
Prevention
- Maintain a habit of brushing the last thing of your day and one more time.
- Using toothpaste which has fluoride
- Using a suitable toothbrush and change it regularly
- Attending regular dental check-ups and cleanings
- Flossing to clean between the teeth and preventing the buildup of plaque
- Avoiding sugary drinks and foods and following a healthy diet.
Root Canal Treatment- After Care
When you encounter horrendous agony and distress on your teeth, you may think do you require root canal treatment? This method is normally known as endodontic treatment. The treatment is suggested when the nerve is infected and aggravated; this typically occurs because of tooth decay or if the tooth is split, broken or harmed.
Your dental expert will look for a method for evacuating the contaminated mash. In this way; the dentist looks for an opening in the tooth, it will empower the dental practitioner to evacuate the mash and clean the canal area. Subsequent to evacuating the mash and cleaning, the gap will be fixed with cement. Fixing the gap avoids further harm. A visit to an endodontist or dental practitioner is essential in deciding do you really require this procedure? Patients are instructed to pursue guidance with their dental specialists because they know whether the procedure can totally fix your concern.
SYMPTOMS OF ROOT INFECTION
As per the dental practitioners, tooth pain is the most well-known symptom of root disease. This agony can be gentle or serious. It depends upon the dimension of disease. This agony can increase amid the day or while chewing and utilizing the tooth. A few patients with root disease feel tooth affectability to hot or cold fluids and sustenances. The gums can demonstrate side effects of root canal infection as well. The gums will behave delicate and swollen close to the infected zone. In this condition put an ice pack on the jaw. That will help with lessening the pain. You should then contact or visit a dental practitioner at the soonest. The dental specialists have what it takes and types of equipment to demonstrate if the side effects are brought about by root infection or disease.
DIAGNOSIS-BEFORE TREATMENT
The treatment procedure starts with an appropriate examination of the tooth. An X-Ray will analyze the issue. The X-Ray pictures will demonstrate the root. In the examination of teeth, the dental expert will uncover to you the best action to be made.
In case if contamination is unpredictable or widespread, your dentist will send you to an endodontist. The endodontist is an expert that treats nerve harm. The specialist will decide if the root canal system is necessary or if any less intrusive treatment will be fine. That will be based on their discoveries.
TIPS FOR TOOTH CARE-AFTER TREATMENT
After treatment the tooth will go well, in any case, good tooth care would be required; the success rate of treatment is generally high. Following are some methods to maintain teeth in good health:-
- Practice good oral care :- Floss your teeth and brush twice daily. This habit will save you from future damage.
- Visit the dentist daily : – It will give surety of deep cleaning.
- Avoid biting hard food : – Chewing hard and cold food can initiate breakage of the tooth.
