For those that are experiencing dental pain, a root canal is often found to be the best option to eliminate pain and preserve your natural teeth avoiding the need for dental implants or bridges. Among the most common dental procedures, root canals are performed for millions of people each year and are a safe and effective way to preserve your dental health. At Zonies-Holgado Dental Associates, we offer a complete set of endontics services that have helped our Cherry Hill patients strengthen and preserve their smiles.
What is a Root Canal?
A root canal is a procedure that is performed when the nerve of a tooth becomes infected due to decay or infection. Regardless of how well you maintain your oral hygiene, the soft tissue inside the teeth can often become infected requiring a root canal procedure to save the tooth. Included in the field of endontics, or the treatment of the pulp and tissues surrounding the root of a tooth, root canal treatment involves the removal of the pulp, nerves, bacteria and any decay inside the tooth. Afterward, the resulting space is filled with a special medicated dental material that will restore the tooth to its normal function.
Root Canal Symptoms
Like many other conditions that require endontic treatment, root canal symptoms can vary widely. Since the tooth pulp, nerves and surrounding tissues can become damaged or infected in many ways, the symptoms that suggest that a root canal may be necessary can differ substantially. Regardless, some of the most common root canal symptoms include:
Sensitive Teeth – Sensitivity to hot and cold temperatures are and a strong indication that a root canal procedure may need to be performed. This is especially the case if prolonged lingering pain is present well after the removal of the hot or cold item.
Tooth Pain – Severe tooth pain is often experience by candidates that may benefit from a root canal treatment. Normally, this tooth pain is occurs when chewing or applying pressure to the teeth in question.
Tooth Discoloration – Frequently tooth discoloration often suggests that the soft tissue inside of the tooth has become necrotic or dead. Surprisingly, this may not always result in tooth pain or sensitivity, but does create an unhealthy and unattractive condition that may require a root canal.
Tender or Swollen Gums – Since the infection within the tooth can damage the tissue around the affected area, tender or swollen gums are a frequent root canal symptom. However, this symptom can often result from gum disease and a number of other conditions.
Tooth Abscess or Pimple on the Gums - If an infection progresses beyond an initial stage, it can develop into a tooth abscess which is a pus-filled pocket that forms at the end of the roots of the tooth. Often manifesting into a persistent pimple on the gums, the infection causing the tooth abscess can spread to other areas of the body including the face, neck or head.
The Root Canal Procedure
The root canal procedure is very common and easy to understand. Depending on the anticipated difficulty of the procedure, the treatment may be performed by either a dentist or endontist. An endontist is a specialist in the treatment of diseases to the dental pulp or the nerve of the tooth. Once it has been determined whether a specialist will be required, the steps in the root canal procedure are fairly standard:
Evaluate the Tooth’s Condition
The first step in the root canal procedure is to assess the condition of the damaged tooth by taking a dental x-ray. Once the dentist has evaluated the shape of the root canals and determined whether there are any signs of infection in the surrounding bone, the root canal procedure can begin.
Remove the Infected Material
Using a process that’s similar to that of receiving a dental filling, local anesthesia will be applied to the area around the tooth. Afterward, the infected material will be removed from the tooth by using a dental drill and then cleaned using specialized equipment and a liquid rinse.
Fill the Root Canals
After the infected material has been removed and the inside of the tooth has been thoroughly cleaned, the next step is to fill the root canals inside the tooth. In cases when there is significant infection, it may be necessary to apply medication to resolve the infection before the root canals can be filled and the tooth sealed during a follow up visit. However in most cases, the root canals found inside the tooth will be immediately filled a sealer paste and a rubber compound called Gutta-Percha.
Seal the Tooth
Once the Tooth has been cleaned and filled, the next step is to seal the tooth. In short, this is the equivalent of applying a dental filling to the tooth.
Tooth Restoration
In most cases, a tooth restoration may need to be performed after the root canal procedure. Because teeth that require a root canal have often suffered extensive decay or have significant other weaknesses, a dental crown, crown and post or other dental restoration procedure may need to be performed to protect the tooth and restore it to its full function. Typically, we will discuss the necessity of this procedure before the beginning the root canal.
Root Canal Alternatives
Whenever considering any dental procedure, it’s always wise to consider alternative treatments, however there are relatively few root canal alternatives. In fact, the only real alternative is a tooth extraction and then pursuing a replacement using a dental bridge, dental implant or removable partial denture to restore chewing function and prevent adjacent teeth from shifting. Therefore, the best alternative to a root canal procedure may be to avoid it entirely by avoiding those conditions that cause infection of the dental pulp.
Root Canal Prevention
Typically, the conditions that often allow the development of an infection inside the tooth can often be traced to several sources. Deep decay, repeated dental procedure on a tooth, large fillings and poor dental hygiene practices are often found to increase the likelihood that a root canal may be necessary. Therefore, we encourage a strict dental hygiene regiment that includes twice-a-day teeth brushing, daily flossing and regular dental visits. If you’d like to start now, please contact us to make an appointment.
