Root Canal Dentistry Is Necessary And Should Be Painless

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.

It also saves a lot of pain since it should stop or prevent the infection. After the pulp is taken out, the tooth is cleaned, filed, and filled with a dental cement or sealant. Usually this is a liquid that must be hardened with X-rays. The good thing about doing a root canal this way is that the liquid can seep into all areas of the cavity, making sure it is totally closed up.

The tooth dies, which means that all the nerves are gone from it and there is no blood supply. To help protect it, a crown is often put on. You still have use of the tooth and don't have any unsightly gaps, which can be seen even if it is a back tooth.

So why are root canals so dreaded? Why do people think they're so painful? The answer lies in the people who do not take care of their teeth and who wait to see dentists. If someone allows an infection to spread to his or her gums until the pain becomes unbearable, the root canal will be painful because a dentist can only control so much of a person's pain. When the infection hits the gums, it fills them with pus. 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.

Sometimes you can suffer from root canals for the rest of your life. Some careless dentists have left tiny pieces of their tools in cavities. Sometimes the tooth will still get infected despite all of the precautions against it.

Dead teeth with the pulp removed are delicate. There is no internal structure left and the sealant is not as strong as the pulp. The tooth will probably eventually crack. A tooth must be well cared for, even after a crown has been put on. Crowns don't stop decay. To avoid all of this mess, visit a dentist at least twice a year, and brush and floss your teeth at least twice per day so you never have to worry about root canals. - 32176

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