Nobody enjoys going to the dentist, and one of the most dreaded dental procedures is a root canal. If you’ve been told that you need a root canal then you might want to understand why and what happens when you are having a root canal.
What is a Root Canal Treatment?
A root canal is where the dentist drills right through the tooth into the root. This procedure aims to remove all of the decaying parts of the tooth right to the root. The rest of the tooth can then be saved and filled. A root canal can be a very lengthy procedure that will require a local anesthetic to numb the area.
Reasons to Have Root Canal Treatment
Your dentist will be able to assess the health of your teeth and decide whether a root canal treatment is the best option for your teeth. If you have a decaying tooth then the dentist will be able to recommend either tooth extraction or root canal treatment. It is always preferable to try and save the tooth and so root canal treatment will be the preferred treatment option.
Tooth infections are normally quite slow to grow and cause issues. If you have experienced several cavities then this can weaken the tooth and expose it to a greater risk of developing an infected root. A tooth with an infected root can cause severe damage to the tooth. It is also possible that this type of infection can spread to the rest of your body and affect your health. The sooner the root canal treatment can be carried out, the better the chance of saving the tooth.
How does the Dentist do a Root Canal?
An endodontic root canal treatment will take a considerable amount of time to complete. The dentist will first inject your gum with a local anesthetic so that you don’t feel the pain. Next, the dentist will carefully drill through the tooth to remove all of the decay. Once they reach the root they will then clean and make sure that all of the decay has been removed. The tooth can then be filled. A crown can then be applied to protect the tooth if required.
It’s always better to try to keep the tooth and perform a root canal rather than extracting it. It may be quicker to just whip the tooth out, but root canals will create much better results. Find a dental surgery close to your home so that you will find traveling easier. There are some great West LA Endo dental clinics that will be able to give your teeth a checkup and advise you if you need dental root canal treatment.
