Root Canal Treatment: What You Need to Know

Fractures and tooth decay pose the risk of developing complications. One of the complications associated with decay and fractures on teeth is root canal infection. When your root canal is infected, the pulp and root nerves are damaged.

The pulp is the tissue in your root canal that nourishes your teeth, while the root nerves are for sensitivity. If such a dental problem is left untreated, it progresses to other parts, causing complications on your gums and jaws. In such a case, a dentist near you might recommend endodontic therapy.

What Does Endodontic Therapy Entail?

Endodontic therapy or root canal is a dental procedure that entails removing the components of your root canal. The dental canal is the hollow space in your tooth’s root that contains the pulp and root nerves. Removing pulp in your tooth aims to reduce the risk of other complications and prevent pain.

Who Needs a Root Canal Treatment?

When the pulp and root nerves get injured or infected, they can’t repair themselves. Therefore, the root canal components start dying. If you have a cracked/decayed tooth, bacteria can enter the root canal. In such a case, the pulp and nerves become infected, and you might experience pain or discomfort when chewing.

If left untreated, there are chances the infection might spread to the jawbone and gums, causing further complications. An infection on the jawbone might cause weakness and lead to breaking. The teeth around might become loose and eventually fall out.

Therefore, your dentist will recommend removing the pulp and nerves from your root canal to prevent such complications. However, if your tooth is extensively damaged, you can opt for dental extraction.

Root Canal Procedure

When you seek root canal treatments from a dentist in North Dallas, the dental practitioner will check your teeth first. The dental exam aims to check for the signs of root canal infection in the adjacent teeth. A root canal procedure might require one to three dental appointments.

After examining your teeth, your dentist will proceed to drill an access hole through your enamel. The dentist will then remove the pulp from the root canal. Your dentist will use small files to scrape the sides of the root canal, eliminating debris,

Next, the dentist will irrigate the root canal and drain all the debris from the root canal. If you are at risk of infection, the dentist might put medications in the root canal. After removing debris, the dentist will fill your tooth using a rubber-like solution and seal the access hole.

Since the pulp is the source of nourishment for your tooth, it might become weak after the endodontic therapy. Sometimes the tooth might get nourishments from the ligament that attaches it to the jawbone. However, the nourishment might not be enough. Therefore, the tooth becomes fragile over time.

To prevent the tooth from breaking, North Dallas dentists might recommend a tooth filling or a dental crown. Therefore, the dentist will schedule another appointment to place your dental crown or filling. However, you should avoid using the tooth that has undergone root canal treatment to chew.

Is a Root Canal Treatment Painful?

Most people dread getting root canal treatment since they believe it is painful. However, the treatment is painless. During your root canal treatment in North Dallas, the dentist will administer local anesthesia to prevent pain.

Also, a root canal treatment aims to eliminate pain. Therefore, you should not dread getting root canal treatment.

Preventing Root Canal Infections

To prevent the need for endodontic therapy, you can consider the following:

During the dental exam, your dentist might identify a potential root canal infection and offer treatments to prevent it.

If you need the best dental treatment near you or if you have a root canal infection, you can visit our dental clinic at Connie J Smith, DDS in North Dallas. Call us now to book an appointment with our dentist near you. We also cater to patients residing North Dallas, Melshire Estates, Preston Hollow, Old Preston Hollow, Crooked Creek Dr., Hampstead Ln, Thunder Rd, and Allencrest Ln.