Imagine a situation where you are savoring your favorite meal and suddenly a sharp toothache occurs that earlier you have not paid attention to. You might neglect the pain at first to avoid dental visit until it becomes nagging and affect your daily activities and work life. But, after meeting a dental professional you are probably recommended for a root canal treatment to repair the injured tooth or treat infected tooth pulp.
Hearing about it from the dentist might make you feel hyperventilated in the start as your known ones may have psyched you about the whole treatment. This is one of the believable myths and misconceptions about root canal treatment. But the truth is, it is a painless and comfortable experience.
A root canal is the best way to save the severely decayed or cracked/chipped natural tooth. The root canal procedure is performed by an endodontist to get rid of any bacterial infection within the tooth, thereby minimizing any dangers of illness instead of causing one. This helps in instantly providing relief from intense tooth pain and after receiving the replacement tooth (dental crown), anyone can expect to have long-lasting results provided it is well-maintained and cared for. Some patients might think that tooth extractions are better followed by dental restoration procedures but the reality is that a root canal can help preserve the jawbone and lower facial structure by avoiding loss of a natural tooth.
Root Canal Procedure
Before considering root canal treatment, the dentist diagnoses and identify the severity of infection/pulp decay/cavity by taking an X-ray of the tooth causing the pain. Local anesthesia is injected into the gums next to the tooth to be treated. The root canal procedure begins with the drilling of the top of the infected tooth to reach the tooth pulp followed by an initial cleaning of the root canal by removing the infected tooth pulp (including injured tooth nerves and connective tissues) using dental files. The root canal is deeply cleaned, medicated, and filled with gutta-percha material. Then, the tooth is sealed to avoid reinfection of the tooth. Lastly, a customized dental crown is fixed over the sealed tooth for further protection. The overall procedure is done in 1-3 dental appointments.
Root Canal Recovery
Typically, the patient can expect to recover in less than a week of root canal treatment. Any discomfort that goes beyond must be problematic and require a call to a healthcare provider. Some tips for root canal recovery include:
- Careful planning of meals that involve fewer teeth functioning for the first few days.
- Staying off from exercising for a couple of days. Rest is much needed for an optimal and speedy recovery.
- Paying attention to any discomfort or the problematic crown.
To know more about painless root canal treatment and you want to save your severely decayed or cracked/chipped natural tooth. Schedule an appointment at First Point Dental, the best dental clinic in Chicago.
