When you tooth infected or decayed then, a root canal is the treatment that dentists suggest to save it. The process of root canal involves removal of the nerve and pulp. The inside of the tooth has to be cleaned up and finally it is to be sealed. If treatment is not done within time, then it could lead to an abscess to the teeth.
The tooth’s nerve is placed in the root canal. This term is used in order to depict the natural activity in the center of the tooth. The function of the root canal is that of a sensory organ, letting you know about hot or cold. Hence, the absence of it would not adversely affect your routines. As it is the nerve of the tooth does not play a significant role
Why is a root canal necessary?
Root canal is only needed when the tooth has decayed. If the root canal is not carried out before the infection spreads to the roots of the tooth then it would end up in an abscess. An abscess is an extremely painful condition which creates puss filled pockets. This can result into severe tooth damage as well as further into the infection and swelling to spread across the neck head or face. There could be drainage issues that would extend from the root outward into the gums or into the skin through the cheek. The other possibility is of that of bone loss around the cheek.
Causes
There are various causes that may lead to a dentist advising a root canal. This includes deep decay resulting into infection, cracked or a chipped tooth, Large tooth fillings or frequent dental procedures face trauma and more.
Treatment
For treatment you might need to seek a dentist or an endodontist based on the difficulty level of your root canal procedure as well as your own comfort level with the doctor. The procedure of a root canal generally involves numbing your teeth first with the help of anesthesia. Then a hole is drilled for access into the teeth and the decayed tissue is removed along with the debris. The root canal files are used for cleaning out. After placing a number of files of increasing diameter into the access hole, the sides of the root canal are scrubbed and scraped by working the files down full length. The debris inside is flushed off every now and then with sodium hypochlorite or water
The procedure further involves with sealing of the tooth. Sometimes, the sealing is carried out after a week in order to clear up the infection. The doctor prescribes you medication and the tooth’s exterior hole is filled up with a temporary filling so as to keep it away from food particles or other contaminants. The tooth filling materials includes a rubber compound called gutta percha and a sealer paste. It is placed inside the root canal after which the restoration of the tooth is carried out as a final step.
Well, root canal procedures have had the reputation of being painful, but these days with high end equipment’s at hand, dentists do ensure that the treatments are painless to a great extent.