Dental decay or caries is the most prevalent problem worldwide. It can affect a person of any age group. It is essential to detect caries at an early stage so that the disease progression can be halted to prevent further deterioration.
Leduc General Dentist offers a comprehensive treatment through root canal therapy that can eliminate caries, provide symptomatic relief, and enhance your overall oral health.
Root canal therapy (RCT)- what is it?
Sometimes bacteria from dental decay can enter your tooth pulp, causing an infection. A pulp is a mass of connective tissue within the center of your tooth that consists of nerves and blood vessels.
RCT is a dental procedure that involves the removal of the infected pulp and sealing of the tooth to prevent reinfection.
Why would your dentist recommend a root canal?
Root canal therapy is often recommended when your dentist is unable to restore your decayed tooth through normal dental fillings due to pulpal involvement.
Your dentist would indicate RCT due to the following conditions:
- Severe tooth pain that does not go away
- Pain that radiates to your jaw
- Extreme sensitivity to hot and cold foods
- When the tooth is severely infected with swelling with/without pus discharge
- The presence of an infected boil kind of lump on your gums, with halitosis (bad breath)
- Swollen jaws when the pus is unable to discharge and gets collected within a confined area (tooth abscess)
- Tooth discoloration
- Chipped or cracked tooth due to trauma
- Severe pain when pressure is applied, especially during chewing
- Loose teeth
What happens during root canal therapy?
Root canal therapy is performed by an endodontist (root canal specialist) under local anesthesia (a numbing agent).
The procedure is as follows:
- Your specialist will administer local anesthesia.
- A rubber dam will be placed around the tooth to isolate it from moisture and bacteria.
- Your dentist will make an access opening on the tooth crown.
- Your dentist will either use manual files or rotary files to remove the pulp, bacteria, and other debris to clean the tooth and the canals (biomechanical preparation).
- The tooth will then be sealed with a permanent filling or a temporary filling if further appointments are needed.
- The canals and tooth will be sealed with a special biocompatible filling called gutta-percha.
- Finally, a customized crown is placed on the RC-treated tooth for protection and prevention of reinfection.
Takeaway
Root canal therapy is a common dental procedure performed by an endodontist. Infection that infiltrates your pulp often leads to painful symptoms. This can be effectively treated by removing the entire pulp and replacing it with a biocompatible material. RCT saves your tooth and prevents the need for extraction.
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