31/03/21Root Canal Treatment: Everything You Need to Know
Spoken by a dentist, the words “root canal treatment” are words that a patient dreads the most; and it’s easy to understand why. In the past, root canal treatments have had bad press, as old fashioned treatments were deemed to be painful and unpleasant to endure.
However, the good news is that root canal therapy can now be completely WORRY-FREE!
Contrary to popular belief, and thanks to modern technology, root canal therapy is now a gentle and pain free process.
Why Root Canal Therapy?
Root Canal therapy is needed when the nerve and blood vessels in a tooth have died or are dying. This causes the tooth to become very painful and you may notice symptoms such as:
- Pain when eating or drinking
- Pain when biting or chewing
- A loose tooth
- Swelling of the gum near the tooth
- Facial swelling
When the tooth’s nerve or pulp tissue is damaged, it breaks down which causes bacteria to form and can cause an infection such as an abscessed tooth.
What to Expect?
Before your treatment, we will take a painless digital scan of your mouth to get a clear picture of the infected tooth.
During treatment, you will be given anesthesia so you can be relaxed and not feel any pain.
A dental dam will be placed around the tooth to keep it free from saliva so that the procedure can be carried out.
A Root Canal treatment saves teeth that would otherwise need to be removed, by clearing away the infection and bacteria instead of removing the teeth completely.
The root canal is then filled and the tooth is sealed with a filling or crown.
In many cases, it is necessary to follow up the treatment by adding a crown so that the structural integrity of the tooth is maintained.
After Treatment
After your root canal, you will still experience some numbing from the anaesthesia, but you will be able to carry on with your daily activities, like work or school. You also may want to wait until the numbness goes away before eating.
Your tooth may feel a bit sensitive, which can be eased with some ibuprofen.
It is important that you continue to take good care of your teeth by brushing and flossing so that your tooth can stay healthy, therefore alleviating any worry about having a further root canal treatment in future
Root Canal Therapy is a very successful treatment, and having a crown added to the tooth maintains the tooth’s survival.
If you’re experiencing any tooth pain or sensitivity, please contact us for an appointment.
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