ROOT CANAL THERAPY CAN BE PAIN-FREE.
A “root canal” procedure is designed to clean out infected nerves and vessels in a tooth. The inside of the tooth is then filled with organic anti-bacterial inert material. Symptoms often present when root canal treatment may be necessary. This can consist of spontaneous pain or throbbing, pain while biting or chewing, sensitivity to hot and cold, and severe decay.
Usually, a prescription of antibiotics is needed three (3) days before treatment to ensure the successful anesthetization of the infected tooth. If this prescription is followed, the root canal procedure will be virtually pain-free.
There are several types of materials dentists will use to fill the inside of a tooth once the infection has been removed. Recently, a new filling material call bioceramic endodontic sealer has been invented. An article published in 2009 by Harvard School of Dentistry professors, Dr. Ken Koch and Dr. Dennis Brave entitled “Bioceramic Technology – The Game Changer in Endodontics” has demonstrated that most successful endodontic treatments occur when bioceramic technology is used. Our dentists use this state-of-the-art material in all root canal treatments.
ROOT CANAL THERAPY CAN PREVENT TOOTH LOSS
Delaying root canal therapy when deep tooth decay is present can cause serious damage and infection to the nerves and vessels inside the tooth. The pain usually worsens until one is forced to seek emergency dental attention. Antibiotics alone will not eliminate this type of infection. Without treatment, the infection will spread, the bone around the tooth will begin to degenerate, and painful swelling will occur. This severe infectious condition may be life-threatening. The only alternative is tooth extraction; which can cause surrounding teeth to shift, resulting in an irregular bite. Although extraction is initially less expensive, the space left behind will require a dental implant or a bridge, which is more expensive than root canal therapy. Keeping your natural teeth is always best–root canal therapy can make this possible.
TREATMENT SEQUENCE
1. Diagnose
A tooth with symptoms such as a dull ache, pain when chewing, lingering sensitivity to hot or cold, or spontaneous throbbing most often requires root canal therapy–commonly called “a root canal.”
2. Remove
All decayed tooth structure and the nerve tissue that fills the inside of the tooth is removed. The root canals are then enlarged to allow for irrigation with anti-bacterial medicine.
3. Seal
The root canal space is now ready to be sealed. A rubberized point made from gutta-percha coated with bioceramic sealer prevents bacteria growth.
4. Add Crown
A large amount of tooth structure was necessarily removed upon completion of the root canal. Because of this, a dental crown is necessary to not only seal the root canal but prevent the tooth from breaking in the future.