A root canal may be the only thing that stands between losing and saving one of your teeth. If you have an infected or severely decayed tooth, a root canal can repair and save it. While the procedure had a reputation of being painful, modern dental technology and breakthroughs have made this a thing of the past. Dentists in Greenville, SC and elsewhere will explain the procedure and give you careful attention in comfortable surroundings to take the dread out.
A root canal is an endodontic treatment, which means the treatment takes place inside the tooth. With proper anesthesia and medication, the root canal procedure is painless and simple. It is done to clean out the roots of your damaged tooth and even reshape the canal if needed. There are several reasons why you may need a root canal, including reoccurring decay in a tooth, a crack or chip in the tooth that allows food particles to enter and cause infection, and, in some cases, gum disease can also affect the roots of a tooth to the extent that it needs a root canal.
If an injury or decay damages the root of a tooth, there may be a good possibility it can be treated and saved. After the desired anesthetic is given, the dentist makes an opening through the crown of the tooth to the pulp chamber. The infected or damaged tissue is removed, and any unhealthy pulp is removed from the canals that carry the roots to the top of the tooth. The canals are then reshaped and flushed to remove debris and keep them clean. Once they are clean, the canals are filled with a permanent material that keeps out infection and contamination.
A temporary filling will be used to close the top of the tooth. This filling will remain for a few weeks until a permanent filling is put or a crown is fixed. A crown is an artificial tooth that looks natural and is placed over the top of the tooth. In some cases, a post is put into the permanent filling material and the crown is fixed to the post. This makes the tooth even stronger.
Numbing the whole tooth is the usual anesthetic given, but, if you prefer, there is also IV sedation available that will calm any anxiety you may feel.
There’s no need to dread a root canal. A family dentist in Greenville, SC like Dr. Trey Kenna at Downtown Dental can treat and save your tooth in painless comfort.
Source
Root Canal, medicinenet.com
A Step-By-Step Guide To Root Canal Treatment, deardoctor.com
