Root Canal Therapy
A root canal therapy can help relieve pain and discomfort caused by an infection in the tooth pulp. At Downey Dental Solutions, this common dental procedure includes steps to eliminate the infection, save your natural tooth, and restore its shape and strength.
What Is a Root Canal Therapy?
A root canal is a procedure performed to save a severely damaged or infected tooth by cleaning the canals inside of the tooth.
When Do You Need a Root Canal Therapy?
Your teeth have a soft core known as the dental pulp. The pulp is made up of blood vessels, nerves, and connective tissues. When one of your teeth is chipped, cracked, or has a deep cavity, bacteria can enter the pulp, causing inflammation.
If not treated on time, this condition can lead to serious infections or tooth abscesses that can cause the nerve of the tooth to die. Dentists recommend that you undergo a root canal procedure to avoid tooth extraction.
Root Canal Therapy Procedure
The root canal procedure usually requires two visits to the dental clinic, and it is performed either by an Endodontist or a General Dentist.
During the first visit, a dental X-ray is taken to determine the extent of the damage. Then, the dentist injects a local anaesthetic to control the pain you may experience during the procedure. Next, the decay is removed from the inside of the tooth through an opening that allows access to the pulp chamber. The dentist uses a small dental instrument to remove the damaged or diseased pulp.
After removing the damaged tissue, during your second visit, the canal is flushed and cleaned. The tooth is also reshaped and prepared for a filling or crown. The dentist waits for the area to fully dry before placing the filling or crown.
Once the procedure is completed and your tooth is restored, you need to avoid biting and chewing hard or sticky foods, and you also need to follow good oral hygiene. On the first day after the treatment, you might experience sensitivity. However, if you experience severe pain that lasts more than one day, you should contact your dentist immediately.