What You Need to Know About Root Canal Therapy

In an ideal world, our teeth would easily last a lifetime without dental

intervention.Unfortunately many forms of decay and bacteria can damage our

teeth and require surgery to be done in order to keep our teeth strong. Normally

our teeth are able to withstand harmful bacteria due to their enamel coating,

teeth that have become damaged are at risk of infection and dental surgery is

required. When the inner pulp of the tooth becomes damaged a dentist needs to

remove the infection in a procedure known as a root canal.

While plaque build-up can lead to cavities, which can be treated with a filling and

occasional antibiotics, untreated decay can eat through the tooth’s enamel and

cause infection requiring root canal therapy. One of the easiest ways to prevent

this is by asking a dentist to place a sealant on any teeth that may be susceptible.

This combined with regular dental hygiene can help prevent cavities from

decaying to the point where a root canal would be necessary.

Even if you have perfect dental hygiene, there is still a risk that you could needto

have a root canal performed. Teeth can become cracked by eating food that is too

hard or during any form of physical activity that is done without a mouth guard. In

these cases the need for a root canal may be more apparent as the infection can

spread extremely quickly and may require a significant portion of the tooth to be

removed. In these cases a dentist may decide to pursue further treatment such as

dental crowns in order to prevent reoccurring infections.

When preparing for a root canal, the dentist will take some advanced

preparations in order to prevent pain and further infections. A dentist will

normally start off a root canal by applying a local anesthetic to the exposed tooth

and isolating the area of work to very small quadrant of the mouth using a dental

dam. Then using a medical drill they will slowly make an access hole into the

tooth which they will use to pull out any of the infected pulp tissue. Afterwards an

antibacterial solution is used to clean the area and both the access hole and any

damaged or cracked surfaces are sealed up with a filling material.

After a root canal your dentist may choose to send you home with antibiotics to

help the surgery heal properly as well as with pain medication if the damage is

extensive enough to warrant it. While at first the pain may still linger from the

infection, a well done root canal can help save damaged teeth and allow them to

last a lifetime.

Presented By

dentalavenue.com.au