What Is a Root Canal and Why Did My Dentist Suggest I Have One Right Now?
Any time your dentist suggests that you need a root canal, it can send chills up your spine. Most people fear going to the dentist because they don’t understand the necessity for standard procedures, or they are afraid that a procedure is going to hurt or not heal properly once completed. Additionally, the scheduling of a root canal procedure may seem daunting for the patient. But these general procedures are performed easily in the dental office with local anesthesia, and you will go home with instructions on how to help you heal in the best way possible once the root canal is completed. Contrary to popular belief, all dental procedures do not “hurt” or cause major amounts of pain during or after the procedure. For that reason, it is easy to get a root canal when you need one, and we are here to help you understand and get through the process with the least amount of anxiety and worry.
Why Do I Need a Root Canal for My Tooth?
There can be many reasons that your dentist will suggest performing a root canal on one or more of your teeth. If your tooth is severely cracked, deeply chipped or you have an old filling that has done damage to your gums, you may need a root canal. The root canal offers an opportunity to preserve teeth that have been damaged from:
Dental trauma
Cracked crown
Dental caries or cavities
Wear and tear on teeth from periapical radiolucencies
Poor or lax dental hygiene
If you have pain in your tooth, have deep cavities that respond to heat, cold or from eating sweet or certain other foods, you need to call us today to schedule an appointment to review the status of your teeth. Sometimes you can wait to get a root canal completed, but other times there may be an emergency that will only get worse if you ignore these symptoms of tooth decay and trauma. Either way, whatever is making your teeth or gums hurt now will not go away on its own. The root canal procedure is a way to save your teeth in many cases, and it is better to let the dentist tell you if it needs to be performed right now or if it can wait a few weeks out to schedule the procedure.
What Happens During a Root Canal on My Tooth?
Your dentist will remove the damaged inner area of a tooth during the root canal. This is the pulp structure of the tooth that can include tissues and other nerves inside of the tooth itself. This is all part of the procedure, and our dentists perform these procedures daily. The dentist will clean out the inside of the tooth, and prepare the tooth to receive either a crown, cap or other type of filling that keeps the integrity of the tooth in size and shape. This helps you to be able to have a better bite and chew your food properly going forward.
What Happens After the Root Canal Procedure?
Once you have had the root canal procedure in the dental office, you may be fitted with a crown or may have some type of filling added to the tooth. But that is not the end of the story for your healing. Your dentist may also use a type of sealer after the root canal treatment. This sealer will help to prevent any bacterial infection from developing under the tooth at the gum line, to keep your teeth healthy. You will likely be given a special mouth rinse from the dentist to use for several days after your root canal as treatment to prevent infections and debris from adhering to the teeth. You need to use the special rinse given, not a store-bought mouthwash, to keep your teeth clean and allow the area to heal properly. It is important to practice good dental hygiene during the days following a root canal procedure. Your dentist will advise you that if you experience unusual pain or symptoms, to give their office a call at any time following the procedure. If you have some slight pain after the root canal around the tooth that was worked on or a slight headache, you can take over-the-counter medications, which do work in those instances. You can expect to feel completely back to normal in a few days following your root canal.
You can call our office today at (551) 553- 5134 to talk to us regarding any mouth pain, tooth pain or other dental emergencies that you have regarding your teeth. We are here to help you when you have issues with your teeth and no question is too small. Call us today to schedule an appointment with us right now. We will work with you to keep your teeth strong and healthy at every age.
