Root canals are notoriously painful and annoying as it means there is an infection down at the root of the tooth or the pulp of the tooth. Our treatments and practices focus on eliminating the pain and irritation while also giving a complete cleansing of the oral cavity. This helps to protect the root canal from further spread of infection.
What are root canals?
Root canals are one of the most common yet unpleasant dental conditions. In a root canal, a patient will have an infected pulp. The procedure is an endodontic treatment, called so because it aims to treat the inside of the tooth. The pulp of the tooth consists of nerves, blood vessels, and connective tissues that are surrounded by the hard enamel exterior. The nerves and blood vessels are the areas of infection. Because the pulp extends from the roots of the teeth that are embedded in the gums and continue through to the upper crown of the tooth, any infection in the pulp can be extremely irritating and painful.
How is a root canal done?
A root canal requires numbing or anesthesia because it requires the dentist to fully remove the inflamed and infected tissues from the centre of the tooth. They then reshape and clean the interior then fill the space with a dental filling made of resin. There is also a new crown put on at the top, to give the tooth a natural finish.
Root canals are often specific and identified with ease; symptoms include:
- Pain or irritation deep in the lower root of the tooth
- Swelling or irritation from an abscess from the infection
- Pain during eating
- Sensitivity to heat and the cold
- Tenderness of the gums
- A visible chip or crack in the tooth
- Darkened gum around the pained area of the tooth
Getting a root canal
Your dentist will use an x-ray machine to identify the need for a root canal procedure. Anesthesia is applied to the area to numb and prevent pain. A dental dam is placed over the tooth, and the dentist then works to make an opening in the crown of the tooth, which allows him to remove and clean out the pulp from the centre. After the space is clean and free of infection, it is filled. After the procedure, you will need to return once more to have the temporary filling removed and a permanent one put in.
