Root canal treatment is a common dental procedure performed to save dying teeth and prevent the need for severe jaw infections or more advanced dentistry and tooth preparation to preserve remaining tooth structure, and to restore lost dental tissues.
The pulp is a collection of blood vessels and nerves located in the center of the tooth. The pulp helps to build and maintain the tooth. Trauma to the tooth, tooth decay, cracks and chips, or repeated dental procedures are means through which infection gets to the pulp.
Pupal diseases and infection may manifest as visible injury or swelling of the gums surrounding the tooth. More commonly, however, it is pain and sensitivity to changes in temperature as we eat or drink that disturbs us.
These symptoms in combination with others may cause the dentist to recommend removal of the diseased pulp. This removal procedure of infected pulp tissue from the root canal system includes thorough cleaning of the space left after removing infected pulp.
Then, the canal is sealed off to protect the canal from future contamination from outside.
Root canal treatment commonly involves the use of local anesthesia and may be completed in one or more visits.
There is about 90 percent success rate for this treatment modality. It is a chair-side procedure, and one should be able to drive home after treatment or return to work if necessary.
Most teeth require some extra restoration after root canal treatment. For example, the molars in the back of the jaws require crowning in order to strengthen them for the chewing function.
Other teeth badly broken down before the root treatment may also need some advanced restorative work. In most cases, the dentist may have suspected this and informed you about it before commencing root treatment. Even if he/she discovers any unplanned-for reason to advise advanced restorative procedures after the root treatment, we will tell you about it.
It is not impossible that complications including pain may occur after the treatment. Inform the dentist about such developments immediately you anything unusual.
