What Are The Signs That You Need Root Canal Therapy?
Root canal therapy is a procedure that helps repair and saves a severely decayed or infected tooth. Root canal treatments become necessary when the dental pulp consisting of nerves, blood vessels, and connective tissue in the tooth becomes infected or damaged. If you must undergo root canals near you, it indicates you have infected and inflamed dental pulp in your tooth needing removal to save the tooth. When performing root canals, the dentist removes the dental pulp from inside the tooth before cleaning and sealing it.
Root canals are perceived as fearsome and painful when in reality, many people confirm the procedure is no more painful than getting a dental filling. Instead, the pain people experience before getting root canals is more intense than the therapy itself.
Signs Insinuating That You Need a Root Canal
There are different indicators of root canals. For example, you might have a severe toothache in a specific tooth when chewing or applying any pressure. The tooth might be sensitive to hot and cold temperatures even after removing the sensation. You might develop a discolored tooth besides swelling and tenderness in the surrounding gums. When left untreated, you might also have a recurring dental abscess on your gums.
The indicators begin bothering you when your dental pulp becomes irritated, inflamed, and infected because of deep decay or repeated dental procedures on the same tooth, large fillings, chipped or cracked teeth, and trauma to the face.
Why Does Pulp Removal Become Necessary?
When you incur damages to the dental pulp, causing it to break down, bacteria multiply in the pulp chamber. The microorganisms, besides dying pulp remnants, cause an infection or an abscessed tooth. An abscess is a pus-filled pocket-forming at the end of the tooth root. Besides an abscess, infections of the root canal can cause swelling spreading to your face, neck, or head, bone loss around the tooth root tip, and drainage problems extending on the exterior of the tooth.
When you develop a dental pulp infection and have a dental abscess, you become prone to various health complications because the bacteria from the infection spreads through your bloodstream into your entire body. Treating the condition promptly, besides helping you save your natural tooth, also prevents many health problems that need treatment from different dental professionals. It is why dental pulp removal becomes necessary.
The Root Canal Procedure
If the dentist near you recommends a root canal on your affected tooth, they will initially take x-rays of the tooth to view the shape of the root canals to determine whether the infection has spread to the surrounding bone. You receive anesthesia to numb the tooth and ensure you feel no pain during the procedure. If you are overly anxious, your dentist might provide you with sedation. Your dentist will also place a rubber dam in your mouth over the affected tooth to isolate it from saliva during your treatment.
When undergoing root canal therapy in Jamaica Plain, the dentist drills an access hole in the crown of your tooth to expose the dental pulp. The dentist removes the infected pulp and any bacteria and debris from the tooth. They use root canal files to accomplish the cleaning process.
After the tooth is thoroughly cleaned, the dentist might put antibiotics in your tooth if an infection was present before undergoing the procedure. In such cases, you may have to wait for a week to have your tooth sealed and complete root canal therapy. Fortunately, if no infection is detected in the tooth, it is sealed immediately using a biocompatible rubber-like material called gutta-percha. A temporary filling helps close the access hole created when starting root canal therapy.
What Can You Expect the Undergoing Root Canals?
After completing root canal treatment, you must visit your regular dentist to have the treated tooth restored with a permanent filling or a dental crown. You will likely experience some sensitivity in the tooth for about a week, which should subside gradually. You also notice a gradual decrease in the pain you experienced earlier before having this treatment. However, the treated tooth remains fragile because it is hollowed out from the inside and needs protection. Therefore visiting your dentist Roslindale and getting a dental crown over the tooth is the optimal option to ensure you can use it for years without further problems.
If you must undergo this therapy, please organize your meeting with Pondside Dental Associates to find freedom from the excruciating toothache you experience because of the infected and inflamed dental pulp.