You must have heard of a root canal as a treatment, but in reality, it is a part of the tooth. Root Canal is basically the hollow section of the tooth with the nerve tissues, other cells, and blood vessels.
Root Canal: What Do You Understand?
Root canal treatment is a dentistry procedure that eases the pain caused by an abscessed or an infected tooth. During the process, the root canal treatment specialist removes the inflamed pulp.
The inside surface of the tooth is later cleaned and disinfected properly before sealing the gap with a particular tooth filling. The root canal therapy is also known as endodontic therapy, which means – “inside the tooth.” However, the root canal is a commonly known name for a dental procedure.
What Are The Common Causes Of Tooth Damage?
The commonly known reasons for the cause of tooth damage or infection are:
- Cavities that occur due to plaque accumulation.
- Broken or cracked tooth because of any trauma or accidents
- Due to gum diseases
- Repeated dental treatment in any particular tooth.
These reasons of tooth damage can cause problems like – infection, inflammation, and damage to the pulp. Some might even experience excruciating pain. However, the pain subsides when the pulp within the teeth dies. In some cases, people do experience pain again with the spread of the infection.
What Are The Steps Of Root Canal Treatment?
Emergency root canal treatment is done in three major steps and takes around two to three sessions to complete the entire procedure.
Cleaning Of The Root Canal
The dentists properly clean every residue present inside the root canal.
The procedure takes place while keeping the patient under the influence of local anesthesia. Then the root canal treatment specialist makes a small hole on the tooth’s surface to remove the dead or diseased pulp tissue. Small files are used to accomplish this step of the treatment.
Filling Of The Root Canal
The next step involves cleaning, reshaping, and decontamination of the hollow area of the tooth using irrigation solutions and tiny files. Later, the root canal is filled with rubber-like material using adhesive cement to seal the canals completely.
Once the root canal therapy procedure is done, the tooth is dead. The patient doesn’t feel any pain in the treated tooth as the nerve tissues have been removed and the infection has been eliminated.
Addition Of Filling Or Crown
Once the root canal procedure is done, your tooth becomes more fragile than ever. The tooth without any pulp receives the required nourishment from the ligament that attaches the tooth to the bone. The nourishment supply is adequate, but with time, the tooth becomes more brittle; thus, a crown is necessary as it offers protection.
Until the tooth crowning is done, the patient must not chew or bite with the tooth. With crowning, the patient can use the tooth normally.
How To Prepare Yourself For The Root Canal Treatment?
Before you begin with the root canal treatment, you must ask all your queries from your healthcare provider. However, you can prepare yourself for the root canal treatment on your own. Let’s have a quick look:
Take The Medicines Prescribed By The Dental Experts
The dentists may provide you with antibiotics or anti-inflammatory medicines that have to be taken a few days before your dental appointment, especially if there is a lot of infection in your tooth.
Avoid Smoking
Tobacco products may interfere with the body’s ability to heal itself. Thus, avoiding smoking for a few days before the root canal treatment is best. And the best thing would be if you quit smoking altogether.
Make Sure To Have Healthy Meal
With the use of local anesthesia during the root canal treatment, you must experience a numb mouth for a few hours. Thus, eating a healthy meal before you visit the dental clinic for your appointment is best.
