When the core or pulp of a tooth becomes inflamed, either by infection, decay or disease, it can lead to serious and painful toothaches. In order to relieve the pain and prevent any other complications, the tooth can either be extracted or saved by a root canal treatment.
This procedure, also known as endodontic treatment, consists in the removal of the core of the tooth (pulp), followed the filling and sealing of the inside areas of the tooth (root canals and pulp chamber). Root canals are basically long channels of soft tissue located deep within the dentin of a tooth. They contain the core of the tooth, which is made up of blood vessels and nerves that help the tooth develop and grow. Once a tooth has reached the peek of its growth, then it can easily survive without the pulp.
For many patients, this procedure is one of the most dreaded treatments in dentistry, since it has the reputation of being extremely painful. However, contrary to these rumors, modern scientific advancements in anesthetics make a root canal treatment reasonably painless. However, depending on the how complicated the condition of the patient is (for example: abscessed teeth with swollen areas) it may be difficult for the anesthetic to act properly. In such cases, dentists usually take preliminary precautions to make sure that the analgesic will work accordingly.
Root Canal Treatment Prices
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When Is It Necessary?
When cracks, deep cavities or accidents happen, these can seriously damage the health of your teeth. The bacteria which usually live inside the mouth can invade the tooth through the cracks and infect the core. This then causes tremendous tooth ache and swelling.
When this happens, it may come to your dentist’s attention that your tooth has changed in color as well as your gums; another way of detecting such circumstances is through an x-ray.
Therefore, if you suffer from terrible ache from one or some of your teeth, it is recommended that you visit your dentist immediately so that you can be evaluated. If you do not have it checked, then there’s a risk that the infection will spread and the bone around the tooth will begin to decay as well.
Procedure Planning
At HCR we strongly advise patients to have an initial consultation with their cosmetic dentist before any procedure is performed. During this initial discussion, you must not hesitate to talk about your expectations or fears with your dentist openly, since he/she will help you deal with any apprehension you might have. Fear of the dentist is extremely common with patients, but most of them find that when discussing the procedure with their doctor in the first place, helps to alleviate any anxiety they may be experiencing.
During this initial meeting, your dentist will evaluate your condition (sometimes using x-rays) and will present the best possible solution for you. If any other treatments need to be performed before the root canal procedure, he/she will let you know and will act accordingly.
Also, your doctor will always inform you about all the different details; for example, you should know if you should stop taking certain medications or if you will need to refrain from drinking or eating for a certain time period before your treatment.
Make sure you have good communication with your dentist at all times since this will help increase your level of contentment. Therefore, please do not hesitate to contact HCR since we will be more than glad to help you with anything you need.
The Procedure
Usually, this treatment usually takes two appointments at the dentist’s office to be completed (sometimes it’s done in just one visit) and is always performed under anesthesia.
Firstly, the surroundings of your tooth will be covered with a ‘rubber dam’, which protects it from the bacteria in your saliva while your dentist works on it. Then, he/she will proceed to drill into the tooth until reaching the pulp cavity of the root canal. Once there, the pulp and tissue will be removed and cleaned using top of the line dental equipment so that the entire infected core is effectively removed.
When the root canal is completely clean, your dentist will fill it using gutta-percha (rubber-like material) and will proceed to seal the whole channel with a permanent or temporary filling.
Post-Op – After Surgery
During the first few days after the procedure, you can expect a certain level of swelling around the treated tooth, but the discomfort of this can be controlled with over-the-counter pain relievers. You will need to brush and floss you teeth regularly, keeping a high level of oral hygiene. You must keep in mind that a nerve-less tooth is more brittle than a normal tooth and should be cared for appropriately.
Make sure you avoid chewing on that side of your mouth for the first few days, since it will most likely be sore.
Usually, your dentist will call you in for a follow-up exam so that he/she can monitor the healing of your gum tissues.
Health Issues
Due to the high levels of germs which can be found within the mouth, all dental procedures imply a certain level of risk. Nevertheless, you must keep in mind that it is always minimal and the professionals at HCR work around the clock to prevent such scenarios from happening, since we value the health of our patients above anything else.
Most root canal treatments are successful, even though there is small percentage of cases in which the procedure needs to be repeated, since sometimes, diseased canal derivatives went unnoticed. If this happens, the pain will return after a while and you will have to undergo a second treatment.
Thus, it is extremely important for you to follow your dentist’s directions at all times.
