There are various dental procedures that dentists use in order to ensure that their patients get the best oral health they possibly can. Whether it be for cosmetic purposes, proper teeth function or for children’s dentistry, patients can rely on their dentist from Greenville SC to get the job done.
An article written in About.com’s Dentistry section features one of the known techniques used by dentists: the root canal treatment. While many patients hear of this as an expensive and difficult procedure, the article explains further its importance for one’s oral health.
Root canal is a dental procedure that aims to fix teeth that can no longer be restored. The procedure involves more of cleaning the inside of the tooth, the root canal, as an important precaution before proceeding to cosmetically repairing the damaged tooth.
The source states the common reasons for root canal are as follows.
The tiny canals contain the pulp of the tooth also commonly referred to as the nerve, which originates from the pulp chamber. Any trauma or infection of the nerve will result in the need for root canal therapy. Common reasons for root canal therapy include:
- Tooth decay invades the tooth, penetrating through the enamel and then the dentin in to the pulp.
- A tooth has become abscessed – also known as infected – from decay.
- Trauma, such as a chipped or broken tooth, occurs and results in the exposure of the nerve.
- A tooth is slowly dying, due to aging or past trauma that did not result in the need for treatment at the time of injury.
The root canal procedure is a very complex operation. The cleaning of the tooth nerves, using files and rubber tubing, ensures that the tooth is not only physically healthy, but is free of any impurities and infections that may cause further damage and other complications. Patients may feel painful side-effects as a result of the procedure, but it’s nothing that pain killers – as prescribed by their endodontists – can’t deal with. When the pain subsides, then the cosmetic repair of the tooth can commence.
For those who want to learn more about root canals and other dental treatment procedures, consulting a dentist in Greenville, SC is the best option.
(Source: What is a Root Canal?, About.com Dental Care, 14 March, 2012)
