ENDODONTICS (Root Canal Treatment):
 Endodontics is another word to describe root canal treatment. It originated from the Greek words "endo" meaning inside and "odont" meaning tooth. Endodontics is the treatment inside your tooth. There are many misconceptions about the procedure and many horror stories. However, modern technology has made the process of having a root canal easier, faster, and in most cases painless.
Why would I need a root canal? What happens during the procedure? What should I expect once it is all over?
Root canals are necessary if the nerve inside your tooth has been irritated or infected with bacteria.
Physical trauma, a large filling, deep decay, a fracture, and severe gum disease are the main causes of nerve infection.
The symptoms of this condition include severe pain, prolonged sensitivity to heat and cold, gum tenderness, swelling, and sour tastes? In some people, there are no symptoms at all and the condition is discovered by clinical examination and x-rays.
An infected tooth will never heal on its own. Once an infection enters the nerve, your only options for treatment are a root canal or extraction.
Root canals allow you to save your natural tooth and cost less than extracting the tooth and having it replaced.
The root canal procedure begins with applying a local anesthetic to make the tooth numb.
Next, an access to the nerve is made through the top of the tooth. The nerve canals in the center of the root are cleaned, shaped, and sterilized.
A filling material is placed in the root canals and the access opening to seal the tooth from re-infection.
At this stage, the root canal is complete and your tooth no longer has a nerve or blood vessel to supply it with essential nutrients.
The tooth becomes dry and brittle and has a very high risk of breaking.
To protect your root canalled tooth, you need a crown which covers the tooth on all surfaces.
In summary, an endodontic procedure (or root canal) is the treatment of an irritated or infected nerve. It will usually take 2-3 visits to your dentist to complete the treatment and may often be paired with antibiotics. Once your root canal is complete, you should protect your tooth with a crown. It is the best treatment once a tooth has been infected and has a very high rate of success. When you evaluate the cost, it is cheaper than the alternative which is an extraction and replacement of the tooth with a bridge or an implant. Remember, the next time your dentist recommends a root canal it is the best option for you and your tooth.
Back to Articles
|
 |
