Root Canal Treatment

Root Canal Treatment Offers Immediate Relief

Do you have an abscessed tooth or a tooth that is infected? Are you in pain and need an immediate solution? It’s very important to see your dentist as soon as possible so that you can get to the root of the matter and get rid of the pain and the infection. Root canal treatment also known as endodontic therapy can be treated by an endodontist who can restore the condition the tooth back to normal with expertise and experience. An endodontist specializes in Endodontics which is a branch of dentistry and has the skill and know how to diagnose and treat a problem that needs root canal therapy. There are many reasons for the tooth to get infected but the main cause is bacteria which can enter a tooth or teeth through a gap, decay, a fracture or through a filling that has broken down. As there are millions of bacteria present in the mouth, the teeth must be kept in good condition as bacteria can cause the tooth to become diseased or pathologic.

Root canal treatment or endodontic therapy is necessary for patients who have pain while chewing or biting food, a sudden intense pain in the tooth, an unexpected pain in the infected tooth that wakes them up at night or a nagging pain. Patients who need root canal treatment have sensitivity to cold or hot beverages and/or foods, a tooth that is loose or is shaking, a specific or a single tooth that is more sensitive than the other teeth, a pain that lasts approximately four to six weeks after a filling or the replacement of a filling. In some cases, patients go through pain or pressure in the region of the eyes, neck and ears or there may be a soft bubble or pimple on the gum that leaks out pus or blood when pressed. As the bacteria eat its way into the dental pulp which is located in the middle or the centre of the tooth, it infects and destroys the nerves, the blood and the lymph vessels. With exposure to the bacteria, the dental pulp will become diseased and a deep cavity or a fracture would form resulting in the loss of vital functions and would die or become totally inefficient.

The Efficacy of Root Canal Treatment

As an effective therapy, root canal treatment helps the patient in many ways. Making the patient feel comfortable and at ease in the dentist’s chair, the endodontist would at first numb the infected area before placing a rubber dam. The endodontist would make an opening to remove the infected pulp through the crown of the tooth. The canals of the teeth or the tooth would be cleaned with small dental instruments or files alternated with hand-held or mechanical instruments with irrigants. The endodontist would shape the canal to the required size which would be filled with gutta-percha which is a purified rubbery sap from Malaysian trees which is approved and certified by the ADA and an endodontic sealer. The cavity would be filled with medications for healing and a filling that is temporary so that the liquid that is infected can drain out. Antibiotics would be prescribed to quicken the healing process and avoid further infection. The second visit to the dentist would involve the removal of the temporary filling with a permanent one and the tooth or teeth would be recapped with a gold or porcelain crown.

Patients suffering from any teeth ailment must realize that it’s important to retain one’s original teeth to prevent disease and harm to the rest of the body. Root canal treatment as a beneficial therapy helps the patient to retain their original teeth or tooth and prevents TMJ pain, bite problems and movement of adjacent teeth that would lead to harmful results.