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Root Canal
Procedure
Having problems with your root canal is no laughing
matter. In fact, it can be one of the
most painful dental conditions and resulting surgeries known to humankind. No pain is quite as intense and persistent
as a root canal infection. Luckily it’s
a rare condition but if you are beginning to have symptoms of soreness,
discomfort, and sensitivity while eating it could be an indication that you
have it.
It’s somewhat surprising to most people that a tooth can
become infected. The thing is, teeth
are living organs just like any other part of your body, contrary to the
immutable objects they appear to be.
Deep inside the tooth is a nerve center of a blood rich pulp material
that relays sensations of heat, cold, and pressure to the nervous system. The connection between the pulp and the gums
is made via the root canal. Each tooth
has at least one functioning root canal.
An infection of the root canal can occur through a fracture
in the tooth or just through poor oral hygiene. Once infected, there is no real way to cure it. The infection will spread to the gums,
leading to tooth and gum decay. Eventually
the tooth will fall out, leaving behind a gap that will cause further problems with
oral hygiene, speech, eating, and smiling.
A root canal treatment attempts to clear the tooth of
infectious tissue. The tooth will still
die (that part is unpreventable) but the infection won’t spread to the
gums. A drill is used to put a hole in
the top of the tooth, and then smaller drill bits are used to bore out the
thinner canals. Once all infected
material has been removed, the tooth is injected with inert filler and capped
off. Sometimes a crown is necessary to
preserve the strength of the hollowed out tooth.
The problem with root canal treatment is that sometimes the
tooth can become re-infected anyway if some tissue was left behind. This would require remedial surgery to
correct the problem again. That’s why
some dentists recommend that you remove the tooth to begin with. While that seems like an attractive option
because it deals with the infection directly, stop to think about the costs
that could begin accumulating. If you
lose a tooth, you’ll need to fill the gap with a partial denture or dental implant. That can be extremely costly in the long
run. It makes more sense to keep the
original tooth in your mouth.
If you’re in the hands of a skilled dental surgeon, the
likelihood of re-infection and extreme pain is significantly diminished. That’s why you should always investigate the
patient history and satisfaction of a surgeon before you go for a root canal.
Consult your dentist today for more information about root canal treatment. It’s a solid alternative to losing your
teeth to infection.
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