What You Should Know About Root Canal Treatment
Here’s what to expect during a typical endodontic procedure.
Root canal (endodontic) procedures are very safe and performed by a trained professional to treat an infected or dead tooth root, to essentially “save” the tooth. Patients are lucky to be able to save their tooth with this treatment if they wish, and can avoid unnecessary and troubling tooth extraction.
This is why losing teeth can be a very distressing experience.
But luckily, dental implants offered by our network of preferred provider dentists in Ontario are a wonderful restorative option for patients with one or more missing teeth.
What exactly is involved during a root canal treatment?
After the patient recieves a local anethesthetic to protect them from any pain, a rubber dam is placed around the tooth being treated. The dentist or endodontist will then create an opening in the tooth to gain access to the root or nerve of the tooth. The root canal system is then enlarged and cleaned, with any diseased pulp eliminated. The canal is then filled with a paste sealer along with a special filling material known as gutta percha.
Finally, the tooth is capped off with a crown to prevent cracking or splitting, and to generally strengthen the tooth.
How long does a root canal procedure take?
The average endodontic treatment will usually take about one or two hours, but will rarely take longer than this. The duration of the treatment is dependent on the patient's individual condition. In rare cases involving complication or infection, the root canal treatment may require more than one visit to complete.
Following a root canal treatment, a patient will usually feel a dramatic improvement! However, it isn't uncommon for patients to feel sensitivity after the procedure due to inflammation, or to experience moderate pain while chewing.
Thankfully, this can be easily resolved with the use of anti-inflammatory pain killers like Tylenol, Advil or Motrin. In some cases, antibiotics may be prescribed to help with any discomfort the patient may feel after their procedure.
The reality is, root canals really aren’t as scary as you may have once thought!
Root canals have very high success rates, with around 85% of treatment results lasting a lifetime! Root canal treatments are very effective in that they can successfully remove infected, damaged or dead pulp which in turn prevents further damage from occurring. The procedure does not kill the tooth, either, as some people tend to believe… but rather saves it.
Think you’re in need of endodontic care?
Most of our Teeth First Dental clinics offer root canal therapy services to save troubled teeth from extraction! Contact a Teeth First Dental clinic near you today to learn more, or to schedule a visit.