Is Root Canal Dentistry As Scary As It Seems?

By Adriana Noton

Root Canal Dentistry is known casually as 'having a root canal.' It is known formally as endodontic therapy. Getting a root canal is often thought of as a painful procedure, but it should actually be painless if it is done right and it is absolutely necessary for damaged teeth. If teeth are neglected, they can become infected, be extraordinarily painful, and lead to further serious health problems if infection spreads.

If a dentist sees a tooth is cracked or decaying and therefore vulnerable to infection, the tooth is cracked open with a drill. Inside a tooth contains pulp. The pulp may already be infected, but whether it is or not, the pulp is extracted from the tooth completely. This fully kills the tooth, but it at least saves the tooth in form and keeps it from having to be pulled.

This should hopefully prevent infection, which is incredibly painful--much more so than the root canal. It stops the infection because after the pulp is taken out, the tooth is cleaned and filled with a sealant. It is usually a liquid or gel that is allowed to seep into all the crevices and cracks of a tooth before it is hardened with X-rays. This makes sure the tooth is fully closed.

Since the tooth is dead, it means that all the nerves and blood are gone from the tooth. A crown is frequently put on to a dead tooth. Though it can be expensive, you can still use the tooth when you chew and you do not have to worry about having the tooth pulled.

The reason why most people fear root canals--and the reason why they are thought of as painful--is because many people do not care for their teeth as they should. When the infection is not caught and taken care of quickly, it can seep into a person's gum from the root. It is as repulsive as it is painful, because it fills the person's gum with pus. There is little a dentist can do to control the pain of this situation. Novocaine can only go so far. Root Canal Dentistry tries to prevent this.

When this occurs, it takes much longer for the surgery to correct the problem because the gums must be cut open to allow the pus to drain out. You would have to go on antibiotics for a while to lessen the pus amount and release some of the pressure it puts on the root. It takes longer to recuperate.

Root canals, though necessary, can leave someone with lasting problems. There have been instances of tiny pieces of dental tools breaking off inside the tooth and being left there by the dentist. The tooth has a small chance of still becoming infected after the surgery, or it may become infected years later.

Teeth are also delicate if root canals have been performed on them because the center of the tooth is scraped out. It leaves its structure flimsy. A tooth is therefore likely to crack. People also tend to think that having a crowns means your tooth doesn't need to be taken care of. This is not true. The tooth needs just as much attention as any other. If you take care of your teeth in the first place, none of this pain or expense need be undergone. - 32201

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