Everything You Need To Know About the Root Canal Treatment

The root canal is the treatment used to perform on the infected teeth, especially the teeth damaged due to cavities. This treatment is helpful to remove the damaged pulp inside the tooth, and the gap is covered with a filling to remove sensitivity and prevent cavities from occurring again.

Usually, it’s performed on those teeth infiltrated with bacteria when the teeth are damaged or broken.

This treatment is also performed on healthy teeth before a cap or false tooth is attached to them.

Symptoms that say you need the treatment

Before randomly going for the root canal treatment, know what root canal is and when you need it. So, it’s best to know its symptoms so that you know clearly that you should go for it. Here are those symptoms:

• Continuous pain in the tooth: unlike the random pain you get every now and then, the tooth infected with bacteria gives you a deep pain that feels like coming from one spot. If you feel like that, then it’s best to go for root canal treatment.
• Feel sensitive to heat or cold: When the tooth is damaged and a cavity is formed, the inside nerves are exposed causing a sharp pain when you drink or eat heat or cold items. It’s a sure sign that you need a root canal.
• Gums getting swollen: the infection begins from the tooth and continues to spread to the gums. It is when you develop pus in the gums which leads to pain and swelling in the gums.
• Pimples on gums: the pus on the gums often develops a pimple on the gums. If it ruptures, you get an unpleasant taste and smell in your mouth. It’s a sure sign that your tooth is infected.
• A swell in the jaw: Infected tooth not only makes your gums swollen but also your jaw. It becomes tender to touch and pain also occurs.
• Dis coloured tooth: the infected tooth suffers poor blood supply which means it can change its colour from the ivory white to a yellow shade.
• Getting pain when applying pressure: it’s also one of the common symptoms where you experience at the infected place even with the slightest pressure.

Process of the Treatment

The entire procedure takes up to 15-30 min depending on the doctor and the expertise. You have to mentally prepare yourself for the entire time to keep your mouth and staring at the ceiling without moving. The process consists of:

Before the actual procedure begins, the dentist will numb the area around the infected tooth by giving general anesthesia. It is given orally by injection to your gum and the pain you get will be as same as the bite of an insect. It will soon subside. However, if you suffer from dental anxiety, you are given sedation.

After the anesthesia, a dental dam is placed to isolate the area where the procedure should be done. It is to keep the dental tooth dry and accessible to the dentist performing the operation.

Now, the actual process begins where a hole is made in the tooth to get access to the damaged pulp inside the tooth. Now the pulp is removed using the small dental equipment. The pulp consists of nerves, blood vessels, and tissues.

Once the infected pulp is removed, the entire area is cleaned, disinfected, and shaped well. Now the empty canals are filled with a filling made of a rubbery material called gutta-percha.

The root canal treatment is over and the next process is to cover the filling with a crown. It is to get the shape of natural teeth and to make them functional to eat and bite.

In most cases, the temporary crown is placed or if you wish to have a permanent set-up, then the appropriate false tooth is fitted.

Benefits of Root Canal Treatment

The root canal treatment is the most accepted dental treatment to treat the infected tooth. It is both affordable and requires less stress and effort from the patient. The other benefits include:

• Treating the infected tooth with this treatment protects the other teeth from getting the infections
• You can reduce the symptoms you experience with the infected tooth by this simple process.
• When you keep the teeth well, the health of the jaw bone will be good which means you don’t have to face complicated procedures in the future.
• If left untreated, the infection will be spread to the maximum and the entire has to be removed. Instead of extracting the tooth, it’s better to treat and save the natural tooth.

The After-Care of the Root Canal Treatment

The aftercare of the treatment required is minimal and is mostly eased by over-the-counter medicines. The slight discomfort may last for a week and it should go away after that. If not, immediately call your dentist to discuss the issue.

Your dentist may not tell you to eat or drink immediately after the treatment, but you can do it after 2-3 hours. Also, try not to eat hard foods like meat and nuts. Stick with soft mashed food that can be chewed easily without any pressure. It’s better to eat with the untreated part of the mouth so that you’re not applying any pressure to the treated tooth.

You can resume your daily routine like going to school, college, or the office after the treatment. The root canal treatment does not hinder your routine. However, you may need to take a couple of days off if you’re given sedation. It takes time to wear off the effects of sedation and to resume your daily activities.

Final Words

After the treatment, it’s important to maintain your tooth properly. Keep your mouth hygienic by brushing and flossing regularly. It’s better to use an anti-microbial mouth wash to keep away the bacteria.

When performed correctly by the best dentists in Melbourne and beyond, the results of the root canal treatment should last longer, even for the rest of your life. All you have to do is to maintain oral health by maintaining healthy habits and eating well. Steer away from excessive smoking, chewing tobacco, drinking too many carbonated drinks, and alcohol.

Author Bio:

Hi, I’m Erika Rhein, a writer by profession and passion, both. I’m skilled in interestingly rendering informative articles to help my readers make valuable decision. I adore writing a blog on many topics, like Automotive, Home Improvement, Business, Health, Lifestyle, Entertainment, Pet, etc.