Your tooth has two parts; the crown, the top part visible in the mouth, and the root extending into the jaw, securing the tooth in position. Teeth also have other regions, including the enamel, dentine, cementum, and dental pulp. The dental pulp is soft tissue at the center of your teeth; it extends from the tooth’s crown to the end of the root. When the pulp is injured or becomes inflamed, your endodontist will perform a root canal Totowa to preserve your tooth structure.
What is root canal treatment?
Root canal treatment is a dental procedure used to treat an infection at the pulp; the process involves removing the soft center of the tooth and filling the openings with a sealer paste called gutta-percha. Your dental professional may recommend root canal treatment when dental x-rays show that the pulp is injured or damaged by bacteria infection. When bacteria infect the pulp, it becomes inflamed, and the bacteria may multiply and spread. If you have a pulp infection, the affected tooth may become sensitive to hot or cold foods and drinks. Biting or chewing may be painful, and without treatment, you may lose a tooth.
Without treatment, the infection spreads, causing the pulp to die. When the pulp dies, you may not have any symptoms, and your tooth may appear to have healed, but the infection has spread through the root canal system. Eventually, you experience other symptoms such as pain when chewing or biting, pus oozing from the affected tooth, swollen gums around the affected tooth, swollen cheek or jaw, and darkening of the tooth.
When should I see a dentist?
Infected tooth pulp cannot heal by itself; therefore, it is essential to see your dentist if you develop a toothache. Without treatment, the infection worsens and reduces the success of root canal treatment. Antibiotics may help treat infections that cause swelling and spread beyond the root, but they are ineffective in treating root canal infections.
What happens during root canal treatment?
Usually, treatment takes place in your dentist’s office; before the procedure, your dentist administers a local anesthetic to numb the treatment area. You may feel a sharp pinch as the dentist numbs your tooth, but this fades quickly. The procedure is painless since the area is numb.
Once the local anesthetic has taken effect, the dentist makes a small incision at the top of the tooth to expose the damaged or infected pulp. The dentist then removes the infected pulp with files and will carefully clean out all the canals in your tooth.
After cleaning the canals, the dentist coats the areas with topical antibiotics to kill bacteria and prevent reinfection. Next, the dentist will use gutta-percha to seal the tooth and may prescribe oral antibiotics. Finally, the dentist uses soft temporary material to close the small incisions at the top of your tooth to prevent the canals from being damaged by saliva. Expect your tooth and gums to feel sore as the numbing medication wears off, but over-the-counter pain medications can help you relieve these symptoms.
If you have further questions about root canal treatment, consult your dentist today at Bogota Dental Center. If you’re in Florida though, you can call cosmetic dentist boynton beach to know more about their root canal treatment.
