Dental pain is one of the worst kinds of pain you could suffer. In fact, on the pain scale, dental pain is number 2 on the list. When the decay reaches a certain point in the tooth – known as the nerve or the pulp of the tooth – the pain becomes unbearable. Therefore, you need immediate treatment from an experienced dentist. Usually, treatment of infected and inflamed tooth nerve is one of two options. The first option is to remove the tooth. The second and preferred option is to remove and fill the nerve of the tooth, which is known as root canal therapy. So, what is root canal therapy? How does it work? Is it painful?
All are valid questions, ones we’ll try to answer here.
What is Root Canal Therapy?
Root Canal Therapy is the treatment of choice when the nerve of the tooth gets inflamed or infected. It is composed of many steps all aimed at removing the inflamed tooth nerve and filling the root canal system (hence the name).
When you feel severe pain in your tooth that’s not relieved even with pain killers, your nerve may be inflamed. For that reason, you’d need to visit your dentist right away. We will perform a few tests including X-rays to confirm, and then start the treatment immediately.
What are the Steps of Root Canal Therapy?
The first step is an accurate diagnosis and estimation of the condition of the tooth. This includes assessment of whether a root canal would work or not. If that is established, the steps are as follows:
- Numbing the area where the tooth is located with local anesthesia.
- Removing all the decay from the tooth and gaining access to the root canal system using a dental turbine.
- Cleaning the root canal system with specialized tools called files. The root canal system is then flushed with a solution to kill all the bacteria and clean the canals from debris.
- The canals are now prepared to receive the filling. This is a specialized form of filling made specifically for the canals. The access cavity is then sealed with a tooth-colored filling.
- The final step is covering the tooth with a crown to protect it from further harm.
Is Root Canal Treatment Painful?
If the tooth is not severely inflamed, then the local anesthesia will take care of all the pain, and you won’t feel a thing during the treatment. However, in severe inflammation cases or cases with abscess and infection, even with local anesthesia you may feel discomfort. However, this is nothing compared to the pain you were in before the treatment. Plus, it only persists for a few minutes until the canals are cleaned.
That is about all you need to know about what is root canal therapy. The process can take a few visits to complete successfully. Medications such as antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medication may be involved to manage pain post-procedure. Rest assured that you will be in the safest of hands with our experts. We’ll use our skill to make your pain go away.
Do you need to schedule your next dental appointment? Click here to view our locations and schedule your appointment!