Root canal is not a new term to many ears. You do not need to be told that it is a procedure for fixing the teeth as well. With a root canal you can save a tooth from being lost because this procedure prevails the root from being damaged further. Some people opt to go for dental implants rather than taking the root canal path. The problem is that most people do not really understand what goes on during a root canal. All that they know is that there is a lot of pain that is involved at the end of it all. In order to understand the whole process, it is probably wise to talk about the structure of the tooth.

Structure of the tooth

The tooth is made up of two main parts. These are: the root and the crown. Some biology books will talk of three parts if you include the neck. The root anchors the tooth to the jaw bone. The crown is the top part that is covered by a protective coating that is known as the enamel. As time goes by the, enamel wears out. This is where almost all dental problems begin- with the wearing out of the enamel. When the enamel wears out, it becomes hard to live a comfortable life. The tooth becomes sensitive because the nerve endings in the pulp cavity are exposed to the surroundings.

A root canal is a procedure whose target is the root of the tooth. It is often needed when there is an injury or a cavity that has damaged the root of the tooth. The root ends up becoming inflamed or infected and when this happens, the pain that you are likely to experience is going to be a bit too much. These infections and inflammations manifest in the form of toothaches and discomfort. In several cases, it causes swelling of the face or jaw and headaches. If the infection is sever, it can affect parts of the body far beyond the tooth because the bacteria causing the infection can get into the bloodstream through the tooth.

Process of the root canal

The first step is to find a route to the root of the tooth. An opening is made through the crown of the tooth to the pulp chamber. An endodontic file is used for this. Once the file has gotten into the root, the infected or infected tissue is going to be removed. Debris and other particles in the canal will be removed in preparation for the filling. The final step will be to fill the tooth with a permanent substance in a bid to prevent the tooth from infection and contamination.

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5 Myths about Root Canal Treatment- Know From Dental Specialists

Tooth decay is one of the most debilitating of all oral problems that one can experience. While everyone would love to have healthy teeth, poor diets and lack of consistent dental care lead lead to cavities. Luckily, dental specialists are offering specialized solutions to guarantee patients a healthy dental outlook.

Warning Signs

If you suffer from tooth sensitivity while eating or drinking hot or cold food, you need to talk to your dentist. Other warning signs include cracks on the surface of teeth, persistent biting discomfort, damage on the surface of the enamel, excruciating pain and discoloration.

Root Canal Procedure in Brief

Healthy teeth not only improve your diet habits but also get your lovely smile back. To achieve this you need to go root canal treatment as soon as possible. The procedure involves removal of the infection and filling of the drilled surface using gutta-percha. A crown can then be placed to give the tooth a natural appearance.

The process should be transported out by a general dentist or a board licensed endodontist. Through this procedure one can get rid of the pain and it enables you to bite and chew normally, tooth is also saved from further damage.

Common Myths on Root Canal Treatment

If you are looking for a tooth decay solution, you might have come across some of these myths:

1. Painful procedure: When seeking this treatment, you are already feeling a lot of pain and the procedure alleviates this. With advances in medical technology, this is now a routine and painless solution.
2. Extraction is a better option: Missing teeth not only affect your facial outlook but also the smile and biting ability. With this alternative, you retain your natural appearance.
3. Poor success rate: When done by a specialist using the right equipment, the procedure boasts over 95% success rate. The failure rate is negligible.
4. It causes cancer: A study published in the JAMA Otolaryngology found that these treatments reduce the risk of mouth cancer by 45%.
5. It is expensive: This is a misconception that runs across most dental procedures. Every situation is unique and will depend on the extent of damage. General dentists charge less than an endodontist.

Single visit root canal treatment is now possible using sophisticated medical equipment. It is a faster alternative and it is less traumatic for the patient. It is also more affordable and convenient because everything is done in one sitting. If you are suffering from tooth decay, you need to immediately take action to prevent loss of your teeth and prevent further spread of the infection.

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What leads to a Root Canal Treatment?

A root canal is the natural cavity within the center of the tooth which is filled with the soft pulp tissue and sensory nerves. When this root pulp is infected or inflamed, the root canal treatment is advised. This treatment helps save the tooth from extraction and prevent the infection from spreading to the healthy tissue around the infected tooth, that may sometimes lead to formation of an abscess. Neglecting the infected tooth can spread the swelling to the face, neck or head. It also affects the bone around the root tip. It helps to restore the natural tooth

What causes tooth decay or infection?

A deep decay caused by infected tooth, a crack or chipped tooth, or repeated dental procedures or large fillings in the tooth and sometimes due to facial trauma. These reasons cause the tooth pulp to become irritated and inflamed.

How long does it take for the RCT?

A RCT may need a couple of visits to the dental office and often treated by RCT specialists or Endodontists specialized in Root Canal Therapy. An x-ray is advised to see the extent of infection or damage to the tooth and to confirm the treatment.

The procedure involves anesthetizing the area locally, to comfort the patient. An access hole is drilled into the tooth to clear out the infected pulp, any related debris and bacteria using endodontic treatment procedure. After thorough cleaning of the treatment, it is sealed the same day by some dentists, or sometimes temporarily sealed for a week or so with medication placed in the canal to completely clear out any lurking infection and prevent contamination of food and saliva entering the Endodontic Therapy, until the final filling is done in the next appointment.

In the final appointment, the root canal is finally sealed with rubber compound called gutta percha and restored to normal function with placement of a crown.

The perception is that the Endodontic therapy is very painful, but it is only true that the tooth may experience sensitivity after the completion of the this treatment because of inflammation of the natural tissue. The sensitivity also depends on the extent of infection the person comes with at the time of treatment.

How long would it take for recovery?

The recovery period is not more than a week usually if the filling is done in a couple of sittings. The tooth may feel sensitive after the first few days following the completion of a RCT. This discomfort is usually addressed with over-the-counter pain medication. Most often patients can return to their routine activities from next one or two days. Restraining the repaired tooth to normal biting and chewing is preferred prevent breaking of the fragile tooth before it is fully restored.

Benefits of Root Canal Treatment

1) Retaining your natural tooth.

2) Maintaining oral hygiene with regular brushing, flossing, and antiseptic mouth-washing ensures the restored tooth to last a life time.

3) The success of RCT is usually 95%

4) With the restored tooth, it is difficult to differentiate from the rest of the normal teeth for an onlooker.

5) Root canal is the best option to restore a decayed tooth.

6) Retains the chewing efficiency and esthetics

The other alternative to a root canal procedure is – tooth extraction and replaced with bridge, implant, or removable partial denture – to restore the chewing function and avoid drifting of the tooth enabling proper bite.

However, the Root Canal Treatment is the most preferred option to retaining the original tooth.

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When the nerve of a tooth becomes infected, root canal treatment can save the tooth. How do you know if you have an infected tooth? Some of the signs are heat and cold sensitivity, swelling and pain, or a bad taste in your mouth. Or, you may experience no symptoms at all and not realize that you have a dental problem.

To get at the infection, he makes an opening through the top of the tooth down into the pulp chamber. With a dental file, your dentist (or endodontist) carefully cleans out the infected tissue and shapes the canals to receive the filling material. X-rays are taken to make sure that all of the infected pulp is removed.

Root canal therapy often takes two or more appointments to complete. A temporary filling or crown is placed to protect the tooth between appointments.

After each appointment when anesthetic has been used, your lips, teeth and tongue may be numb for several hours. Avoid any chewing until the numbness has completely worn off.

Between appointments, it’s common (and not a problem) for a small portion of your temporary filling to wear away or break off. If the entire filling falls out, or if a temporary crown comes off, call your dentist so it can be replaced.

It’s normal to experience some discomfort for several days after a root canal appointment, especially when chewing. To control discomfort, take pain medication as recommended. If antibiotics are prescribed, continue to take them for the indicated length of time, even if all symptoms and signs of infection are gone.

To further reduce pain and swelling, rinse three times a day with warm salt water; dissolve a teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm water, then rinse, swish, and spit.

To protect the tooth and help keep your temporary in place:

o Avoid chewing sticky foods (especially gum).

o Avoid hard foods and hard substances, such as ice, fingernails and pencils.

o If possible, chew only on the opposite side of your mouth.

It’s important to continue to brush and floss normally. Usually, the last step after root canal treatment is the placement of a crown on the tooth. A crown covers and protects the tooth from breaking in the future.

If your bite feels uneven, you have persistent pain, swelling, bleeding (bruising) or you have any other questions or concerns, call your dentist right away.

If after root canal treatment has been performed a tooth still harbors bacteria or irritants which keep the tissues surrounding the root of the tooth from being healthy (inflamed), then the treatment has not been successful. Some signs of failed root canal treatment can include tooth pain (ranging from very mild to extreme) and tenderness or swelling in the gums in the area near the tooth (ranging from very slight to pronounced). These signs can either:

o Persist from the time of the root canal treatment.

o Be transient (varying week to week or month to month.

o Appear even though the tooth has been asymptomatic for years.

In other cases a tooth may have been, and continues to be, without symptoms but the tissues surrounding the tooth are identified as having the presence of persistent inflammation by way of a x-ray examination by a dentist. In these cases, if retreatment is not a possibility, then the tooth should be extracted.

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Root canal treatment, also called root canal therapy, is a procedure used to treat

problems of the inside of the tooth, or the dental pulp. It is a way to save teeth that

might otherwise have to be pulled.

The treatment could involve from one to three visits to your dentist or Endodontist, (root canal specialist). During treatment, the diseased pulp is removed and the pulp chamber and root canals of the tooth are cleaned and sealed.

The root canals of a tooth are the parts of the pulp cavity which are inside the roots,

and in a healthy tooth contain the vital (live) pulp tissues. The pulp is made up of

mostly nerves and blood vessels. The nerves inside the tooth are responsible for

transmitting feelings of pain and temperature inside the tooth. Root canals have

different shapes in each tooth. They can also vary between different people and

races, and they also can narrow as you get older.

Root canal treatment is the removal of damaged or infected nerves and tissue from the

inside of your tooth’s pulp chamber.

Inside the root of every tooth is a nerve, with pulp surrounding and protecting the

nerve and a blood supply that extends out the end of the root to your circulatory

system. This space inside the root is called the canal space.

Root canal therapy involves drilling a small opening in the tooth, removing the nerve,

blood supply and pulp. The canal is then cleaned, shaped, sterilized and the end of the

root and canal space is then sealed off with a filling material, much like a cavity or hole

in your tooth would be filled. A root canal is a repair to the inside of the tooth and is

the only alternative for internal tooth nerve damage or tooth abscess besides having

the tooth removed.

Root canal treatment allows you to keep a tooth you would otherwise have to have

pulled. When there is infection inside the tooth, there is no cure. The bacteria

continue to spread to the nerve and surrounding tissue.

Many people wonder why medications, like antibiodics, cannot cure the infection. The

fact is that the tissues swell, cutting off the blood supply so there is no way to get

the medication to the area. Yes, they can help surrounding tissue, but cannot reach

the inside of the tooth.

Without proper treatment, a diseased tooth will abscess and become a life threatening

situation. With your brain only inches away from your tooth, there have been cases of

systemic infection that resulted in death.

Root canal treatment can be painless if caught early. Like most problems, the longer

you wait the worse it can be to treat. See your dentist right away if you feel any pain

with chewing, or to hot and cold foods.

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