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Root canal therapy is needed when the nerve of the tooth has been subjected to some type of trauma. A break in a tooth can allow bacteria to permeate the tooth’s interior impacting the nerve; or deep dental decay may be the source of the problem. And while there may be no immediate discomfort, eventually decay or infection could become a problem. Patients often experience sensitivity to hot or cold; some feel pain only when biting down on the affected tooth. What Is Root Canal Therapy? Also referred to as endodontic therapy, root canal therapy is the process where an access point allows the dentist to remove the contents of the pulp chamber. The contents of the interior of the tooth’s chambers include the nerve (which is no longer needed once the tooth has erupted), blood vessels, and tissue. The only other option is to extract the tooth. If a root canal is not performed, the bacteria can cause infection or an abscess to develop. Failure to treat can result in complications such as swelling in the face, neck, or head; or infection can travel to other parts of the body. Since pain is not the only indicator that a root canal is needed, other symptoms to watch for include sensitivity; discoloration of the affected tooth; swelling in the jaw, face, or gums; or a sore resembling a pimple that will not go away. The Root Canal Process A dental x-ray will identify the number of roots involved and their position. It is imperative that all roots are treated. The area is anesthetized, a rubber dam is placed around the tooth to keep it dry, and an access point is created to allow for endodontic files to clean out the root’s interiors. The roots are flushed continually to eliminate debris. Once the root canal is completed, your dentist may elect to prepare the tooth for immediate sealing of the access point or may wait a week or so to make sure any infection has been successfully resolved. The final step before sealing the opening is to fill the interior of the canals with a rubber compound called gutta percha. Depending on the tooth involved, the access point can be sealed with a composite restoration; in many cases a dental crown is the best option. For more information or to schedule an appointment, contact our team today.
It’s common to receive a dental crown after having root canal therapy. This is because root canal treatment is designed to treat the inside of teeth and restorations like crowns are used to strengthen the exterior surfaces of them. The only way to know whether you will need a dental crown is when it is recommended by a dentist. What is a dental crown exactly? A dental crown is a restoration that is placed over a tooth to cover its biting surfaces and all its sides. Crowns are custom made so that they fit over a person’s tooth and in between adjacent oral structures. One could compare a dental crown to a cap because of the fact that crowns reinforce external tooth structure. What will my crown look like? Dental crowns are tooth-shaped and their appearance can vary depending on the types of materials chosen to make the restoration. Those who want to maintain a natural looking aesthetic will likely choose porcelain or porcelain fused to metal. Both of these options will look very lifelike. Others might choose metals like silver or gold because of their durability and cost. What is a root canal? A root canal is part of a tooth’s anatomy. The root canal is located deep inside a tooth and houses the nerve endings and cellular material (dental pulp) of a tooth. While its common vernacular to refer to endodontic care as a “root canal”, it’s more correct to refer to these procedures as “root canal treatment” or “root canal therapy”. When is root canal treatment necessary? Root canal treatment is necessary when the root canal is exposed to oral debris through a dental injury or if the inside of a tooth has developed an infection. Ignoring a dentist’s recommendation for endodontic treatment eventually leads to oral health complications like abscesses, which could result in the loss of a tooth. Treating root canals saves teeth from the need for extraction. Call us today to reserve a consultation with our skilled dentist.
Do you ever use your teeth to open items like plastic packaging? Many people resort to using their teeth in place of tools like scissors. Unfortunately, this bad habit can land you in the dental chair. Over time, using your teeth as tools will wear down tooth enamel – leaving behind weakened and sometimes brittle tooth structure that is prone to cracking, chipping, and breaking. Deep cracks and chips in your teeth can lead to the need for root canal therapy. This is because a chip or crack can expose the innermost structure of your tooth’s anatomy to harmful bacteria and debris. When the root canal is exposed to bacteria and food particles, it can lead to a painful infection that inflames the nerve endings of teeth. Without root canal therapy, a person runs the risk of losing his or her tooth. What is the root canal? The root canal is a part of a tooth’s anatomy. Located deep within a tooth, this chamber-like area contains nerve endings and dental pulp (cellular material). If a tooth is broken or decayed, this part of the tooth is unprotected from infection-causing bacteria. Moreover, the structure underneath tooth enamel cannot self-heal and must be treated by a professional so that a person doesn’t develop an abscess. How does root canal treatment work? Root canal treatment addresses the infection that can develop within a damaged tooth. First, the treatment area is thoroughly numbed so that a person doesn’t experience discomfort. Then, tiny dental instruments are used to access the root canal and remove its contents. The nerve ending and dental pulp are taken out and the root canal is flushed. After this process is complete, the area is sealed with gutta-percha (a rubber-like compound) to prevent debris from re-entering the root canal. Having root canal treatment alleviates pain associated with inflamed nerve endings and prevents the development of future complications. If you use your teeth as a tool, we strongly encourage you to avoid doing so to protect precious tooth structure. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call the office of Barry Buchanan at 214-343-1818.
Suffering an injury to a tooth, such as from a fall or while playing contact sports, can put you at increased risk for tooth loss, but that outcome is not inevitable. Root canal therapy can help to prevent oral bacteria from infiltrating the innermost sections of the tooth, where they can destroy the tooth from the inside out. Tooth trauma can cause a crack in the tooth, giving oral bacteria easy access to the pulp. When infection develops in the pulp, the sensitive nerve endings are triggered, which can cause significant discomfort for the patient. Additionally, the infection can access the blood stream and spread elsewhere in the body. To cut off this possibility from the beginning, your dentist can perform a root canal. This procedure involves removing the pulp material from the tooth’s root canal chamber, cleaning the empty chamber thoroughly and then sealing it using a rubber-like material to prevent future infections from setting in. Unfortunately, root canal therapy has the reputation – undeserved, by the way – of being a painful procedure. That’s not the case, though. Most patients who undergo root canal therapy describe the discomfort as no more significant than that associated with having a cavity filled. Furthermore, because root canal therapy is intended to eliminate any infection that is present, patients actually get relief from discomfort following a root canal. In order to have the best chance of saving your tooth after suffering some sort of facial trauma, you should consult with your dentist as quickly as possible so that you can get a root canal therapy promptly, when it will be most effective. Delaying this follow-up may put your tooth at greater risk for being lost. Root canal therapy does leave your tooth at greater risk for breakage, so patients usually have a crown placed on the treated tooth to give it extra protection. Your provider can give you more information about this aspect of your treatment. Have you experienced facial trauma that damaged a tooth or teeth? Root canal therapy can help you save the tooth, which is always preferable to having it extracted and replaced with a prosthetic. Call our office as soon as possible to schedule your evaluation!
Root canal therapy is a tooth-saving procedure that will increase a person’s oral function on the affected tooth while also relieving significant discomfort caused by an internal tooth infection. After root canal therapy (endodontic treatment), a person will still feel the effects of local anesthetics for a few hours. Local anesthetic will likely produce a numbing sensation inside the mouth and on the face. Since the effects of local anesthetic are still felt, those who have received treatment for a root canal should avoid eating food for a few hours. In the hours following treatment, as the anesthetic wears off, sensation will eventually return to normal. Since the infected nerve endings and dental pulp have been removed from a tooth, a patient will no longer feel the intense discomfort associated with an infected tooth. Why is endodontic therapy necessary? Professional dental treatment is necessary because teeth cannot heal on their own after developing significant damage or disease. Root canal therapy, for example, prevents a tooth from becoming so badly diseased that it cannot be saved. When the inside of a tooth is infected, it can abscess. An abscess is a chronic infection that can spread to tissue adjacent to the infected tooth. Untreated abscesses will not only lead to a tooth being so diseased that it must be extracted, it can also lead to the infection of adjacent teeth, gums, and bone. With root canal therapy, painful dental abscesses can be avoided and a biological tooth can be retained. Will I need a dental crown? Many people require a dental restoration after having root canal therapy but it is not always necessary. A restoration commonly follows endodontic care because there is significant damage to external tooth structure such as a deep cavity or chip. If a restoration is recommended after treatment, it is to protect a tooth from developing further damage so that a patient can enjoy optimal oral function. If you are suffering with tooth pain, call our practice to schedule a checkup with our dentist.
Do you have severe tooth pain? Perhaps your discomfort is persistent and nagging. You might also experience sharp pains when you bite down on food. When a person experiences tooth pain, it should never be ignored. Dental discomfort is a sign that something is wrong and in the case of toothaches, it can signify the need for root canal therapy. When teeth are deeply affected by injury or caries, root canal therapy can literally save the tooth from needing to be surgically removed. Timely treatment for tooth pain is imperative to saving a tooth. Why Root Canal Therapy is Needed Sometimes a dental injury or cavity can reach the innermost structures of a tooth. Inside the tooth is the root canal, a chambered area that holds the nerve ending of the root system along with cellular matter called dental pulp. The root canal is normally protected against the debris and bacteria the float in the mouth. However, when a tooth is unhealthy, the root canal can become exposed to debris and bacteria. This exposure can infect the contents of the root canal, which will cause pain since nerve endings are involved. When the root canal is infected and if treatment is not received quickly enough, patients could risk losing their tooth because the infection can develop into an abscess. An abscess is an infection that affects the root system of a tooth and spreads to neighboring tissue like bone and gums. This infection can kill a tooth and affect the entire oral health system. What Root Canal Treatment Involves Root canal therapy is an endodontic treatment. This procedure involves accessing the root canal through the base of where a tooth is damaged or decayed. Using very tiny instruments, the root canal is opened and its infected contents are removed. Then, the root canal is cleaned and sealed to provide protection for the tooth. After treatment, the pain associated with an infected root canal will subside because the nerve endings are no longer there. Sometimes, a restoration like a dental crown or inlay is needed to protect the external structure of a tooth. Call us today to schedule a checkup with our dentist.
When patients learn that root canal treatment is recommended in their case, they often respond with dread. Unfortunately, they may believe misperceptions about this intervention. Before you start getting anxious about this treatment, educate yourself about the reality of a root canal. The most prevalent myth is that root canal therapy is associated with significant pain. While in the past, the experience may have been rather unpleasant, that is no longer the case. Modern instruments and techniques, in combination with highly effective anesthetics, help to make this procedure no more painful than having a cavity filled. In fact, because the treatment is provided to address a problem like an abscess or infection that is actually causing pain for the patient, it is likely to make you feel better rather than worse. Another persistent myth is that you can just have the tooth extracted in order to avoid the more invasive treatment. While this is technically true, it is always preferred to save a biological tooth whenever possible. Your dentist may only want to provide an extraction as an absolute last resort. Some patients may also have misinformation about root canal treatment causing other diseases elsewhere in the body. This is a very outdated belief that has no scientific evidence supporting it. It may also be helpful for you to understand the procedure itself. The dentist will numb the area with a local anesthetic and may offer sedation to help the patient relax more. After the anesthetic has taken effect, the dentist will drill a small hole in the tooth to access the root canal chamber. Then, the diseased pulp tissue is removed from that chamber, which is subsequently cleaned and filled with an inert rubber-like substance to prevent bacteria from invading the area again. The procedure is usually completed in about a half-hour to an hour, although more complex procedures may take a little longer. Has a root canal been recommended for you? Is this proposed course of treatment making you anxious? Talk to our dentist to get the facts and dispel any myths or misconceptions you may have about this procedure. Contact the office of Barry H. Buchanan, DDS, today!
Root canal therapy can help a patient save a tooth that has been extensively damaged due to an injury or a large cavity. Unfortunately, many patients buy into the inaccurate perception that root canal treatments are extremely painful. In reality, most patients who undergo a root canal report that they experience no more discomfort than they would with having a cavity filled. We understand that facing root canal therapy can be daunting, but there’s no need to be afraid of it. We find that patients who get accurate answers to any questions they may have feel more reassured and at ease during the procedure. Here are some of the most common questions that patients pose to us. What is root canal therapy? A root canal is a procedure in which the dentist removes infected pulp tissue (or tissue that has been exposed to oral bacteria) from the inner chamber of the tooth that contains it. After the root canal chamber has been emptied and thoroughly cleaned to remove any lingering bacteria, it is sealed using a rubber-like substance. A crown will be placed on the treated tooth, which may be more likely to break as a result of the root canal. Why do I need a root canal? Your dentist can explain the specific need in your case, but generally root canals are performed to save teeth that have been compromised by large cavities or by an injury extensive enough to expose the tooth’s pulp to the oral cavity. How painful will this be? The idea that root canals are painful is an outdated one. It’s unlikely that you’ll experience any more discomfort than you did the last time you had a cavity filled. How long will it take to recover from my root canal? You will get instructions for what to expect after the root canal, but generally patients may experience some mild discomfort for a few days after the appointment. Additionally, patients should avoid chewing with the treated tooth until the crown has been placed. If a root canal has been recommended in your case and you have additional questions about the procedure, please reach out to one of our experienced staff members. We want you to have the right information so that you can have a reasonable idea of what to expect from the treatment. Contact our office today to get your root canal questions answered by our helpful and caring staff!
Are you suffering with a nagging toothache? Are you worried that your tooth is badly damaged? Sometimes, teeth become deeply infected by decay or a severe fracture. A deep infection often requires a special form of treatment called root canal therapy. Root canal therapy is an endodontic procedure that treats the inside structures of teeth. Endodontic therapy can save a tooth from abscesses (a severe infection) or death. An abscessed or dead tooth often requires surgical removal, which can have profound ramifications on oral health and general well-being. Why is root canal treatment necessary? Deep inside the tooth is a hollow chamber that houses dental pulp, which contains vital cellular material along with the nerve endings of a tooth. Since a tooth is a living structure, the nerve and pulp can become infected when the root canal is exposed to debris and bacteria. The root canal of a healthy tooth is protected from bacteria and debris, but not when a tooth is badly damaged. An exposed root canal is very prone to becoming infected, and once infected, the inside of the tooth must be treated to prevent further complications. What is root canal therapy, exactly? Root canal therapy involves removing the infected material inside a tooth. Using tiny tools, our dentist will extract the infected nerve and pulp out of the tooth. The root canal will then be irrigated to remove all debris and sealed with gutta-percha, a rubber-like compound that protects the structural integrity of the inside of a tooth. After root canal treatment, patients’ discomfort and toothaches are eliminated. How do I know if endodontic therapy is necessary? If you are suffering with toothaches, there is a good chance you may need a root canal; however, the only way to be certain is to have an oral examination. Using diagnostic tools, our team can determine if the cause of discomfort is due to an infected root canal. If endodontic therapy is necessary, our dentist will develop a treatment plan that meets your needs. Call the office of Barry H. Buchanan, DDS, today to schedule an appointment for a cleaning or checkup.
Trauma or infection that impacts the nerve of a tooth will often result in the need for root canal therapy. There may be sensitivity to temperature, discomfort, swelling, or for some, no symptoms may be present. Your dentist has tools that help to diagnose the situation, but most often an x-ray is the determining factor. A root canal is considered by many to be an unpleasant experience, but these are people who likely have never undergone root canal therapy. The process is no more uncomfortable than having a cavity repaired. Prior to treatment, x-rays are needed to determine how many roots are involved and their position. Once the tooth has been numbed, it is secured from surrounding teeth often with the use of a rubber dam. This serves multiple purposes … saliva is blocked to keep the area dry and any debris removed will not be swallowed. An apparatus is placed to hold your mouth open making it easier on both the patient and the dentist. A small access point is created in the tooth to reach the root. A “file” is used to wrap the contents of the root (nerve, pulp, and blood) around it for removal and the root is flushed; this process is done for each root of the tooth. It is imperative each root be thoroughly cleared; if not, the procedure may need to be redone. If infection is present, an antibiotic may be placed directly into the root to prevent spreading. At this point the patient may be asked to wait to be sure the infection is healed before proceeding to the next step. The access point must eventually be sealed. Depending on the tooth involved, this can be done with a tooth colored resin material; however, back teeth will likely be sealed using a dental crown. With the root’s contents removed, the tooth sealed with a crown is preserved. Without root canal therapy, tooth extraction will likely be required. You will be shown how to floss around a tooth with a crown; even though the nerve is gone, brushing and flossing daily are still required to keep the rest of the tooth and surrounding gum tissue healthy. Root canal therapy may allow you to keep this tooth in place for life.