What Causes You To Need A Root Canal?

The mention of having to undergo root canal therapy by your dentist can send you quivering with fear. You do your best to delay or avoid getting the treatment without realizing it is the only method available to preserve your natural tooth. The dentist doesn’t recommend this treatment unless they notice severe decay in a specific tooth besides other symptoms indicating endodontic therapy is best to preserve the tooth.

Before visiting the dentist to determine why one tooth is incredibly painful and sensitive to hot and cold temperatures, you might not have researched the reasons for root canal treatment. However, you undoubtedly begin researching the subject after receiving a recommendation from your dentist for this tooth-preserving treatment.

It would help if you had endodontic treatment when the dental pulp the soft tissue within the root canals becomes infected or inflamed. The condition within your tooth might have different reasons. For example, it might result from deep decay and repeated dental procedures on the same to or chips and cracks in the tooth. Additionally, the injury to a tooth can cause pulp damage without making chips or cracks visible.

If you leave the dental pulp infection untreated, it results in pain or causes a dental abscess. These indicators confirm that you need a root canal to overcome the discomfort you experience.

If the dentist in 92064 recommends the root canal procedure, there is no reason for you to worry because they ask you to treat a damaged or diseased tooth. If you aren’t aware, millions of teeth are treated every year and preserved by relieving pain and making the teeth healthy.

Within your tooth and beneath the enamel is a hard layer called dentin, and beneath the dentin is the dental pulp, the softcore of the tooth. The dental pulp contains blood vessels, connective tissue, and nerves that help grow your tooth root during its developmental stages. Fully developed teeth can survive without the dental pulp because they receive nourishment from the surrounding tissues.

Modern-day root canals are unlike the treatments provided earlier and are similar to getting a routine filling. Depending on which tooth needs the therapy, the dentist completes the treatment in one or two appointments. The treatment is relatively painless and incredibly effective in helping you get back to biting, chewing, and smiling with ease shortly after the treatment.

Before starting the treatment, the dentist examines your tooth using x-rays before administering anesthesia into your mouth to relieve discomfort. They also place a protective shield in your mouth to isolate the tooth and keep it clean and free from saliva.

After preparing your mouth for the procedure, the dentist makes a tiny opening in your crown before using small flexible instruments to clean the dental pulp from its chamber and root canals and shape the space for a filling. After cleaning and shaping the space, the dentist fills the root canals with a rubber-like biocompatible material called gutta-percha with adhesives to ensure complete sealing of the canals. They also seal the tiny opening made in the crown of your tooth with a temporary filling.

The dentist recommends you have the tooth restored with a dental crown for protection and full functionality soon after you recover.

Root canals become essential when you have infected or damaged teeth from accidents, injuries, or a deep cavity. However, preventive care and caution can help avoid many root canals when you are in a situation where your teeth are at risk.

For example, brushing and flossing are relatively straightforward methods to prevent issues that can result in needing a root canal. You keep your mouth healthy when you brush at least twice a day and don’t skip flossing because it results in tooth decay and bad breath besides needing a root canal.

Avoid sticky and hard foods, especially the sugary stuff that tends to remain on your teeth longer and feed the bacteria in your mouth to cause tooth decay. You must make every effort to ensure you keep your teeth safe by avoiding hard foods like nuts, seeds, and popcorn kernels, especially if you have a weak tooth in your mouth.

In contact sports, you must protect your teeth from impacts by wearing a mouthguard as a preventive measure. Besides the above, you must also get six-monthly dental checkups to determine whether you have tooth decay in your mouth that might need root canals. Most importantly, please do not ignore minor or significant toothaches because they indicate a requirement for intensive treatments.

If you want to know more about how or why root canals become necessary Heavenly Smiles Dentist performs these treatments frequently on many patients. If you receive a recommendation for this treatment, kindly contact the practice and get the help you need to preserve your natural tooth.