A smile is not an image usually associated with root canals, but in many cases preserving happy, healthy smiles for years to come depends on the success of the procedure.
Root canal is often the last best hope for a damaged, decaying or seriously traumatized tooth. Advanced root canal techniques allow once-hopeless teeth to be saved, using a routine technique that is more convenient and pain-free than ever before.
Not Your Grandfather’s Root Canal
Despite the low levels of discomfort, root canals will surely live on in legend as an unpleasant ordeal that should be avoided at all costs. That may have been true decades ago, when cars gleamed with finned chrome, and oval-screened televisions glowed with the broadcasts of three monochromatic channels. Even then, the discomfort of a root canal was no match for the pain caused when a cavity was neglected. What hasn’t changes it that when an infection occurs, it bores its way to the center of the tooth, inflaming the inner chamber and afflicting the sensitive nerve.
Signs that a Root Canal is Needed
Although advanced cavities are the prime reason root canals are necessary, sometimes this delicate inner nerve is left exposed by an injury that may crack the tooth, or a crown or filling that has become detached. In all cases, pain is a central symptom. Additional signs of inflammation or infection include gum swelling, interruption of normal jaw function, sudden and excessive tooth sensitivity to temperature extremes and even a noticeable difference in the color of a tooth.
Root Canal Procedure Details
At this point, your dentist can still save the tooth, but its interior will need to be removed, cleaned and filled. The nerve and inner pulp comprised of lymph tissue and blood vessels will be extracted and replaced with a flexible material known as “gutta-percha,” or in some cases a resin compound.
Before your procedure, Dr. Añonuevo will prescribe oral antibiotics that you will take in advance of the root canal to fight the infection. On the day of your root canal, he will take X-rays, apply anesthetic and stabilize the tooth with a rubber dam.
Drilling deep into the tooth, he will remove the interior matter. An apex locator helps him identify the root’s tip so that the full length of the root can be cleaned. This is a key element of a successful root canal. Gutta-percha is applied with a special “heat gun” that ensures a proper fit and tight seal. After the material fully hardens, usually in about 15 minutes, a crown or dental filling is applied to provide an additional protective barrier to the tooth, insulating it from air and microbes.
Do Not Put Off Root Canal
There are only two ways to avoid a root canal — good dental hygiene or extraction. In the face of serious pain and other symptoms, doing nothing is not an option. An infection that has reached the interior of a tooth may not stop there; it can also spread to the jaw, neck and head, resulting in serious complications.
If you would like to discuss your specific dental needs with a respected, trustworthy dentist in Charlotte, we invite you to book a consultation with Dr. Añonuevo. Please call or email Inspire Dentistry of the Carolinas today to make your appointment.