Root canal treatments are the number one dental interventions capable of alleviating almost any symptoms without the need to extract any of your teeth, and is thus one of the most frequently sought after, and one of the most efficient conservative dental procedures available today. Root canal treatments may become necessary for patients who are experiencing inflammation, have had a trauma to the teeth, or tooth decay that is so bad that it causes pain or swelling of the face and soft tissues of the mouth. A tooth that has been root canaled will not produce symptoms at all, but will continue to serve its function and remain aesthetically pleasing. What steps need to be taken in order to get a root canal treatment is the topic of our article, so please read on and enjoy!
The importance of root canal treatments
A root canal treatment is none other than the only method of destroying the bacteria that have gotten into the pulp chamber and the tooth root. No other dental procedures are capable of doing this. If you do not get a root canal treatment, then the bacteria will destroy your tooth pulp entirely, during which a bunch of by products will be produced. The sensitivity and incredible pain that is associated with this process is due to these by products, as they expand in a warm environment and are acidic. But even if there are no symptoms, and you feel absolutely no pain, you still need to get the tooth treated, as the bacteria will eventually corrode the tooth root and start to attack the soft tissues surrounding the tooth. This can cause an inflammation, which can lead to the loss of the tooth in question. Root canal treatments require a lot of time, patience and precision on the part of the dentist, and the dentist needs to be very attentive to many different factors. Let’s see how a root canal treatment looks like, step by step!
Root canal treatments step by step
The procedure is done by a dentist or, in more complicated cases, an endodontist, who is a specialist in root canal treatments, and these specialists are extremely well versed in the internal structures of the teeth and how best to cure them, and deal mostly with the dental nerve, the dentine and other deeper tooth structures. But most root canals can be given by a general dentist, as they have all the knowledge necessary to give you one based on an x-ray of your teeth.
The first step is to take the dental x-ray, as it provides insight into the internal structures of the teeth, its position, and gives information to the dentist that would be otherwise hidden from the naked eye. The procedure then continues with local anaesthetic and a drying off of the area. The tooth can only be opened after these procedures.
In order to reach the affected area, a hole must be driven into the cusp of the tooth. After that, removal of the internal structures of the tooth will become necessary.
In order to fight off further infections, and in order to keep the tooth fulfilling its function, the hollowed out tooth will be fitted with a medicated root filling, and then later with a final filling that goes all throughout the tooth root.
After the tooth root has been filled, and the tooth has been restored functionally, it is time to restore the tooth aesthetically. The cusp of the tooth needs to be restored during the next phase. This can be done in one of two ways: if the tooth is still structurally sound, then a filling that is shaped like the cusps will be put on the tooth, but if too much of the tooth material has been lost during the course of the root canal treatment, than a dental crown will become necessary.
In the next couple of days, the tooth in question may be sensitive and painful, and you may want to ask for pain medication, just in case. In many cases, the tooth can be used just like normal, the very next day.
