Treating Root Canals

Everyone’s knees quake at the thought of a root canal. What comes to mind is the cost and pain of having one. However, most people do not know what it is. Also known as endodontic therapy, root canal treatment involves the removal of infections from a tooth. Carried out in a tooth’s pulp, it protects teeth from future infections.
 

A root canal is a part of a tooth. It is mainly below the gum while the crown is above it. It attaches the tooth to your jawbone. Inside the root and the crown is the pulp, which provides moisture and nourishes the tooth. The pulp’s nerves sense cold and hot temperatures as pain. A root canal, therefore, is a procedure that means “inside the tooth.”

 

Steps Involved in a Root Canal

It takes between one and three treatment sessions to complete a root canal. These are:

 

Root Canal Cleaning

When you visit your dentist for this procedure, he or she will first remove or get rid of everything inside the root canal. During the procedure, however, you will be under anesthesia. The dentist will make a tiny access hole on your tooth’s surface and remove the dead and/or diseased pulp tissue with small files.

 

Filing the Root Canal

Afterward, he or she will clean, shape, and decontaminate the hollow space in the tooth. Your dentist will use irrigation solutions and small files to do so. He or she will then fill the tooth with a rubber-like substance using a block of an adhesive cement. This will seal the canal completely. You need to understand that a root canal effectively kills the tooth. Consequently, you will not feel any pain in the tooth afterward. This is because of the removal of your nerve tissues, which eliminates the infection.

 

Adding a Filling or Crown

Since the tooth is no longer alive, however, it will be much more fragile than it was before the procedure. It has no pulp; therefore, it has to get its nourishment from the ligaments attaching it to the jawbone. This supply of nourishment is not adequate; therefore, the tooth’s brittleness will increase. This is why you will need to get a filling or crown to offer some protection.
 

Until your dentist completes the filling or crown, you should not bite or chew on the tooth. Once he or she finishes the filling/crown, however, you will be able to use the tooth as before. This treatment typically takes just one appointment. If you have serious infections, multi-canals, or curved canals, however, the treatment could require two additional appointments.

 

Pain

One of the greatest fears about treating a root canal is that it sounds to be extremely painful. However, if you visit a trained and experienced dental surgeon, the treatment will be relatively painless. Any pain you feel will result from the infection in your tooth, rather than the treatment. Essentially, the treatment aims to alleviate the pain. After the treatment, you will experience some numbness, but it will be temporary. You can also take over-the-counter medication to relieve any pain.



 

If you have any questions about a root canal or any other dental problem, visit Rudell Gary S. Jacinto, DMD. General and Cosmetic Dentistry at our offices in Los Angeles, California. You can also call (323) 405-9428 to book an appointment.