Has your dentist advised a root canal treatment for your toothache? Worried that the procedure might be painful? Are you searching for all the crucial information about a root canal treatment before you go ahead with the final procedure?

You’ve landed at just the right place.

In this write-up, we’ll explain everything you want to know about root canal therapy. We’ll discuss the definition, detailed procedure, symptoms for the therapy, and how this treatment can be beneficial in alleviating your toothache and saving your natural smile.

Stay tuned!

For an effective root canal, best all on 4 dental implants and orthodontic treatment, ensure to connect with a reputed and experienced dental clinic.

Let’s begin with the basics.

What Is A Root Canal Treatment?

Your tooth is composed of three layers:

The outer enamel layer, which is the hardest substance in your body.
The middle layer called dentine
And the innermost softcore, known as the pulp, is integrated deep within the root of your jawbone.

The dental pulp contains the nerve supply, blood vessels, connective tissues, specialised cells such as fibroblasts and odontoblasts.

When the bacterial infection or trauma affects the softcore or the pulp, the root of your teeth gets inflamed, causing pain and irritation. A root canal treatment plans to restore your natural tooth by removing the pulp and cleaning the decaying material. aims

The treatment process removes the microbial accumulation from the infected root canal of your tooth and prevents further infection. Once your dentist removes the infected pulp and thoroughly disinfects your tooth, a filling is then placed to seal the empty space. This treatment thus restores your natural tooth and prevents tooth extraction.

So how does your dentist determine that you’ll require a root canal? How will you understand if the pulp of your tooth has been infected?

You need to know the symptoms that may indicate your requirement for root canal therapy.

Also read: Reason to replace your missing teeth

What Symptoms Indicate That You’ll Require A Root Canal Treatment?

The assured way to understand and diagnose the requirement of root canal treatment is by visiting an experienced dentist.

However, it is always recommended to watch out for these specific warning signs. The earlier you detect the sign of infection or inflammation, the faster your tooth can be treated and restored without any complications.

Following are the warning signs that you may need a root canal:

Persistent moderate to severe toothaches
Enhanced sensitivity to hot and cold food or liquids
Tooth discolouration
Painful and swollen gums
Painful sensation on touching your concerned tooth
A chipped, cracked, or broken tooth
Pustules or pimples on the gums
Excruciating pain while chewing your food or biting

When you visit a dental clinic with one or more of these symptoms, your dentist will physically examine the tooth and suggest X-rays to confirm the diagnosis and requirement of a root canal.

Since root canal and other treatments require careful examination, it is recommended that you visit a qualified dentist for all on 4 dental implants and root canal outcomes.

What’s The Procedure For Root Canal Treatment?

Generally, an experienced endodontist or qualified dentist performs root canal treatment.
Endodontists are highly qualified and skilled specialised dentists who specifically focus on treatments pertaining to your dental pulp. If your root canal has chances of complications, your general dentist and endodontist may work together to deliver optimal care.
Your dentist will get an X-ray to examine the signs of infection on the concerned tooth and in the surrounding bone. The X-rays are also useful for determining the shape of the root canals.
Next, your dentist will administer anaesthesia to make you feel relaxed and numb the concerned area near the tooth. You’ll stay awake during the treatment. However, the anaesthesia prevents any pain during the procedure.
A rubber dam is placed, encircling your affected tooth to prevent any saliva from pooling into that area.
Once the effects of the anaesthesia have started to kick in, your dentist makes a small, precise opening at the top of the tooth ( also called the Crown) either by a drill or a LASER.
In the next step, your dentist removes and cleans the infected pulp using special dental tools known as ‘Files’. Even the sides of the root canal are also scraped out and scrubbed clean to remove any traces of infection.
During the procedure, your dentist generally sprays water or sodium chloride to flush out the debris.
Once the area is properly cleaned and disinfected, your dentist will fill up the hollow cavity with a biocompatible material known as gutta-percha.
To ensure tight and secured sealing of the root canals, generally, the gutta-percha is placed with a block of adhesive cement. Next, a filling is added to close the initially created opening created on your Crown.
At last, the dentist will discuss any further restoration work, such as crown placement, for a long-term outcome of the treatment.

Root canal treatment is relatively less complex and less expensive.