Root canal treatment (also called Endodontics) is needed when the pulp inside your tooth becomes infected through tooth decay or damaged by an injury to your mouth. This infection may spread through the root canal system, which could eventually lead to an abscess, causing a great deal of discomfort. If root canal therapy is not carried out, the tooth may need to be taken out.
The root canal is then cleaned and filled to prevent any further infection
A root canal is a dental procedure that all of us are familiar with. Root canals are something we all dread, although when someone else is getting the procedure most of us find it to be somewhat amusing. When someone asks for a root canal on the other hand, most of us, including dentists, find it to be very absurd to say the least.
Although many aren’t aware of this, root canals have been around for many generations. Many years ago, ancient civilizations used this method to save teeth that would have been lost otherwise. These civilizations offered root canals to those such as queens, kings, pharaohs, and the rich. The teeth from peasants were normally extracted then sold to aristocrats.
Root canals are a very common procedure these days, as they help to save the tooth by removing the dead or dying pulp. The pulp exists inside of the tooth, and can spread to abscess if it isn’t taken care of. The tissue in the pulp is kept alive by the blood vessels that come from the tip of the root and travel along the root canal into the tooth.
Decay is the main reason for pulp in the tooth dying. Once the decay has reached the pulp, it will keep eating away until the pulp has died. Once it dies, the toxins from the decay will be released into the root tip and make it’s way into the jawbone. If not taken care of properly, the jawbone can become infected, which can lead to death in rare cases.
Signs and symptoms you may need root canal therapy
Pain is often the most common symptom: anything from a dull, persistent ache to severe pain when biting. Other signs and symptoms include a spot appearing on the gum or swelling in the gum area surrounding your tooth.
Root canal therapy is a treatment for saving a tooth from extraction
At our dental clinic we offer patients root canal therapy as an option for saving a tooth from extraction. Once a tooth has come through it no longer needs the pulp to function, so all removing the pulp will do is stop the pain of infection and save the tooth. Also, it will stop the infection spreading.
At your initial root canal appointment
Your dentist will locate the offending tooth and take an x-ray in order to show the roots of the tooth, to see how far the decay has traveled and if there is an abscess present. A course of antibiotics may be given to clear the abscess before the treatment is started as the abscess will reoccur if the treatment is NOT carried out.
