Tooth pain can be the
excruciating. Luckily, root canal
therapy can relieve intense tooth pain and save one’s tooth. There is no better joy than that relieve.
Teeth are meant to last a
lifetime. So if one of your teeth
becomes critically injured or diseased, it is best to save it with root canal
therapy. Though root canal therapy has
been a standard dental procedure for decades, recent advancements in dental
technology has made treatment much more comfortable and predictable. To help you understand when and why the
procedure is needed, I have answered some of the most frequently asked question
about root canal therapy.
What is a root canal?
Root canal therapy is a filling
that is placed into the canal of the root after the canal has been thoroughly
cleaned. Filling material is also
placed into the cleaned pulp chamber of the tooth. The pulp is a soft tissue in the center of a
tooth that contains the nerves, arteries, veins, and lymph vessels. When the pulp is diseased or injured and
unable to repair itself, the pulp dies, and has to be removed. Root canal
therapy then becomes necessary.
Why does the pulp need to be removed?
If the damaged or diseased pulp is
not removed, the tooth and surrounding tissues become infected. Pain and swelling may accompany the
infection. Even in the absence of pain,
an abscess can form at the tip of the root and eat away the bone in the jaw. Without root canal therapy, the tooth will
eventually have to be removed, because of bone loss.
Are root canals painful?
Most root canal therapies are not
painful and actually relieve pain. Once
the nerve of the tooth is removed, there should be no more discomfort in that
tooth. The procedure is similar to a
filling being placed through the top of the tooth. The canals are very small, so generally more
time is needed to clean out all the infected tissue, and fill the canals. Last week, I had a man who had endured pain
in his lower left molar for 2 years. The tooth had a crown placed upon it 5
years ago. The tooth had been sensitive to hot, cold and chewing for two years,
and he had learned to live with the discomfort by avoiding the tooth. After root canal therapy I called him at home
the next day. All his symptoms of pain
had gone away. He said, “I feel
great! I don’t know why I didn’t do this
sooner.” I receive that same positive
response with almost every completed root canal.
How effective is root canal therapy?
Root canals work 98% of the
time. Occasionally root canal therapy is
not effective, because of a severe infection or a crack in the root. In which case, the tooth has to be removed
and an implant or bridge must be placed to replace the missing tooth. Over 80% of the time, a tooth will
immediately feel great after root canal treatment with no discomfort at
all. Over 15% of the times a tooth will
take up to a week to calm down.
Infrequently, after root canal therapy, a tooth will take up to a month
or longer to feel completely normal.
How different will my tooth feel after a root canal?
Other than the fact that your tooth
won’t hurt, you will notice no difference.
Since the nerve is gone, there will be no sensation to pain, hot, cold,
or pressure. However, the teeth adjacent
to the treated tooth still feel normal sensation and there is sensation in the
bone surrounding the root of the tooth, so everything feels the same as far as
you can tell. The treated tooth does
lose its vitality and internal life. It becomes more brittle and less resilient
to biting forces, which can lead to a tooth fracture. Therefore, crown placement is required after
most root canals to hold the teeth together and prevent fracturing.
Why are most root canals preformed?
Root canal therapy is necessary for
3 main reasons, tooth fracture, deep tooth decay, and tooth trauma. Last month, a young man broke his upper right
bicuspid biting into pebble in a hamburger.
The pulp was exposed and a root canal was completed, much to his
relief. A 54-year-old man had deep
decay and severe pain in his lower left molar.
He had been putting off treatment for years because of dental fear. With conscious sedation, root canal therapy
was completed along with numerous tooth colored fillings. He was happy, thankful and pain free for the
first time in a long time. A
36-year-old lady traumatized her upper left molar from years of night
grinding. The dying pulp caused the
tooth to ache. After root canal therapy
and a mouth guard to wear at night, she had total relief.
Why do a root canal? Why not remove the tooth?
It is always best to save a tooth
if possible. It is more involved and
costly to replace a tooth with an implant or a bridge. Teeth support each other, like bricks in an
archway. When a tooth is removed and not
replaced, the teeth next to the empty space have to endure more forces of
chewing with reduced support. They often
shift, become crooked, and are lost as well.
So root canals should be cherished
as a joyous advancement to save teeth and eliminate pain.
ENJOY LIFE AND KEEP SMILING!
George Malkemus has had a Family and Cosmetic Dental
Practice in Rohnert Park for over 27 years.
2 Padre Parkway Suite #200Rohnert Park, CA 94928
Phone: (707) 585-8595
MalkemusDDS.com
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