Useful Information About Root Canal Treatment

By Akshay Sharma January 3, 2017 Health

Root canal treatment seems quite an apprehensive thing, especially when you are going for it for the first time. However, with the advanced anesthesia options, new equipment and surgical techniques, this treatment is no longer painful. The term “root canal” derives from cleaning of the canals inside the tooth’s root. A damaged or infected tooth can cause severe pain. To get rid of this pain, a root canal treatment is performed. It helps to repair and save a badly damaged or infected tooth.

The root canal procedure generally involves three key steps, which include:

Removing the damaged area of the tooth (the pulp),
Cleaning and disinfecting the damaged area,
Filling the area of the tooth and sealing it.

Some of the most common reasons that affect the pulp are a broken tooth, injury, a deep cavity, repetitive dental treatment to the tooth or trauma. If your dentist suspects that you may require a root canal, he will first take x-rays or observe the existing x-rays to find out where exactly the decay is. During the treatment, a local anesthesia will be administered to the affected tooth. The diseased or damaged tooth pulp will be removed by making an opening. This process is known as pulpectomy.

After removing the damaged tooth pulp, the roots that have been opened will be filled with gutta-percha material (this material helps to keep the canals free of infection or contamination) and sealed off with cement. The filling remains until the tooth gets a permanent filling or a crown (also known as cap that looks like a natural tooth). In some cases, a post is positioned into the root besides the gutta-percha to provide more support to the crown.

It is utmost important to take care of the treated and restored tooth. With proper care, the tooth can last for lifetime. Some of the effective ways to take care of treated root canals include, follow a good oral hygiene, avoid chewing on hard foods and visit your dentist regularly. All these things are necessary to prevent further problems.

It is important to know that the root canal treatment has a higher success rate and is notably less expensive that the alternative treatment options such as tooth extraction and replacement with a bridge or implant.