Root Canal Treatment Procedure, Benefits & Recovery
Do you experience persistent pain and sensitivity to hot and cold temperatures in your oral cavity? The chances are that you have an infected root canal needing root canal therapy. Root canals are a popular dental process to treat an infected tooth to prevent further damage.
If you intend to undergo this treatment and want all information about the procedure, benefits, and recovery, please continue reading this article for the details you want.
What Exactly Is Root Canal Treatment?
Root canals are a standard procedure performed by dentists or endodontists to treat infections inside your tooth. The treatment is essential to prevent further infections of the tooth, and restore its functionality and the natural aesthetics of the affected tooth.
Root canal procedures involve eliminating the infected dental pulp from the root canal, followed by disinfection and filling the treated tooth. There are two types of root canals. You can undergo a single-visit root canal where our dentist completes the treatment using chemo-mechanical procedures to eliminate the dental pulp.
Some dentists also provide laser root canal treatment to kill the bacteria causing the infection and disinfect the root canal to prevent further damage.
Why Does the Dental Pulp Need Removal?
The gradual expansion of the infection in the root canal starts to decay teeth and infect the adjacent teeth and surrounding gums. Removal and disinfection of the dental pulp help prevent the expansion of the infection.
How to Recognize Whether You Need a Root Canal?
If you experience persistent pain in a specific tooth besides sensitivity to hot and cold temperatures and notice discoloration of your teeth, it is time for you to visit our dentist in Houston to determine whether you need root canal treatment. Besides the above, you may also have swollen and painful gums, experience pain when chewing or biting, have chipped or cracked teeth, or loose, infected teeth.
The Root Canal Procedure
Before your treatment, our dentist suggests getting an x-ray or CT scan to determine the extent of the infection. If a single visit root canal suffices, our dentist completes the procedure soon after the consultation.
When treating your tooth, our dentist administers anesthesia after applying a numbing gel to your gums around the infected tooth. Next, they place a rubber sheet around the tooth to isolate it and keep it dry. After preparing your tooth for treatment, our dentist drills it to access the dental pulp for removal along with the bacteria and decayed nerve tissue. After cleaning the tooth, our dentist seals it immediately or after a week, depending on the extent of the infection. Finally, our dentist uses a rubber-like sealer paste called gutta-percha to seal the root canal.
Benefits of Root Canal Therapy
Root canal treatment is not painful as it is purported and doesn’t cost as much as replacing a tooth. There are many reasons why you need root canal treatments as soon as possible to prevent further deterioration of the tooth:
- Root canal treatments benefit you by ridding the infection in the dental pulp to prevent reinfection.
- Modern technologies and techniques make root canal treatments nearly pain-free.
- Root canals enhance the appearance of your teeth and smile, and the procedure is relatively effortless and efficient.
Recovery from Root Canal Treatment
Recovery from root canal treatments varies between patients. Some people experience mild pain and discomfort for a few days after the procedure. However, the discomfort is temporary and gets better during the first week.
Our dentist might recommend precautions you need to take after the treatment. The precautions include:
- Avoid foods for at least 2 to 4 hours after the treatment until the numbing medications wear off.
- Avoid eating hard foods for at least 72 hours.
- You must avoid eating with the treated tooth for a few days.
- You can continue consuming the prescribed medications as recommended.
- Brush your teeth two times a day, floss at least once without exceptions, and maintain enhanced oral health.
After you recover from the root canal procedure, our dentist recommends you have the treated tooth restored with a dental crown from our cosmetic dentist near you to enhance its functionality and appearance.
Root canal treatments are better not avoided, especially if you have had pain and inflammation in the tooth for quite some time. Our dentist in Houston provides this inexpensive and effective treatment to prevent reinfection of adjacent teeth. Therefore if you are affected by the dental issues described, you find it beneficial to contact our dentist to undergo root canal therapy to preserve your natural tooth.
Visit a Root Canal Dentist Near You
If you have persistent pain in your tooth with sensitivity to hot and cold temperatures, it confirms you need root canal therapy. You can schedule an appointment with American Modern Dental to undergo the root canal therapy in Houston, TX and prevent your condition from deteriorating.