About 15% of Americans avoid going to the dentist due to fear or misconceptions.
Before you undergo any treatment, your dentist will examine your mouth and review any x-rays or other images to diagnose the cause of your toothache. If the cause turns out to be a tooth infection, your doctor will determine the extent of the damage and decide if root canal therapy can treat the problem.
To start things off, your dentist will clean and numb the treatment site, all the way down to the including the nerves with local anesthesia. If you would like to be sedated during the procedure, your doctor will help you decide what kind of sedation will be best for you.
Once the treatment area is sufficiently numb, your dentist will begin removing any decayed material beginning with the enamel. They will continue towards the center of the tooth, and clear any infected pulp from inside the tooth. Once the interior of the tooth’s canals have been thoroughly cleaned, the area is flushed with disinfectant to eliminate any remaining bacteria.
To fill the space left by the decayed material, the interior of the tooth will be filled with “gutta-percha,” an inert, rubber-like material that supports the inside of the tooth to maintain its structure.
Depending on how much enamel was removed during the procedure, the appearance and function of the tooth will be restored with either a filling or a dental crown.
Around 25 million root canals are performed every year.
If you’re experiencing a tooth infection, chances are you will need root canal therapy. Tooth infections generally happen one of two ways:
No matter how the infection occurs, it will cause the pulp to begin to decay and eventually die. When this happens, you’ll experience a toothache, gum inflammation near the tooth, and tooth sensitivity to temperature and pressure.
No. Root canal therapy has come a long way in recent years, and modern techniques make a root canal a pain-free procedure. In fact, the procedure is similar to getting a dental filling, and patients who receive root canal therapy can expect their tooth pain to be relieved almost instantly.
Your mouth will be numbed completely during treatment, and you can even choose to be sedated if you would like. Root canal therapy is the best way to alleviate the pain and discomfort of an infected tooth, which can be unbearable.
Root canals are one of the most effective dental treatments available, but in rare cases, the treatment can fail. If there is any decayed material or bacteria left behind, the infection can return. If the infection comes back, you’ll return to our office for endodontic retreatment, during which your tooth will be reopened and the root canal process will be repeated to ensure that the infection is completely removed.
Not always. Although dental crowns are usually the best way to protect your tooth after getting a root canal, and are almost always recommended for posterior teeth (molars and premolars), fillings can also be used to restore anterior (front) teeth. Your dentist will let you know what kind of restoration is best for you after your root canal has been completed.
Root canal therapy is generally covered, at least in part, by most major dental insurance providers. However, it’s best to consult with your own insurance provider to gain an understanding of your benefits.
Getting root canal therapy can save you from needing more complex, invasive treatments.
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