Few dental patients are excited to learn that they need to have a root canal performed. However, despite its unpopularity amongst dental patients, there are many advantages to having a root canal that your dentist Navan can offer you.
In this article, you will be given a rough guide to what a root canal is, how it is performed, and the benefits that it can offer you long term.
Root canals are a type of endodontic procedure. They are used if there has recently been a dental infection in the pulp of the tooth or if a tooth has become cracked or damaged and the pulp is exposed.
Root canals have existed in dentistry for over 100 years, and while many patients still think that a root canal will damage or kill a tooth, the advances in dental technology have ensured that they are not only better in the long-term for your teeth, but that the results are more permanent.
A root canal is a safe procedure that can be performed on people of any age, and despite what you may have read online, you can even have a root canal performed if you are pregnant.
However, before a root canal can be performed, you will generally need to have an x-ray so that your dental team can assess the extent of the abscess or the damage to the root of the tooth.
How are root canals performed?
After you have had the x-ray, your dental team will numb the area of the mouth where the root canal is to be performed.
Then, using a very small drill, your dental team will drill down through the crown of the tooth to the root; this process is very delicate and can take up to 30 minutes.
Once your dental team has access to the root of the tooth, they will use a set of thin files to widen the hole; this hole is called a canal. Once it has been widened, they will then remove the infection from the pulp of the tooth.
Once again, this process too is very delicate and can take up to 45 minutes, depending on how many roots of the teeth are infected and the amount of damage to the tissue or the condition of the pulp and the nerve.
Once the infected tissue is removed, your dental team will then begin filling the canal with a substance called gutta-percha. This is a rubber-based material that will ensure that no microscopic debris or bacteria can get access to the pulp of the tooth once the root canal has been completed.
Once the canal has been filled with the material, your dental team will top it with either a filling, a crown, or a restorative supported by a veneer.
Aftercare
The site where the root canal was fitted is likely to feel sore for a few days; therefore, it is advised that you only consume soft foods during this period.
If it was performed correctly, your root canal should last the rest of your life without recurrence of an infection or any issue with the tooth. You will need to attend dental checkups every six months to ensure that the work remains intact and no decay occurs on the tooth.
