Root Canal Treatment — Purpose, Procedure, and Risks

A root canal combines the Greek word ‘Endo’ meaning inside, and ‘Odont’ meaning tooth in Greek. Therefore, root canal treatment is one kind of endodontic treatment.

Your tooth has a soft inner layer called the dental pulp sitting beneath the tooth enamel and dentin, holding the nerves, connective tissue, and blood vessels. The dental pulp extends from the tooth’s crown and connects to the surrounding hard Issues. The dental pulp is essential during the tooth’s developmental stages because it receives nourishment from the surrounding tissues.

How to Determine when Root Canal Treatment Is Necessary?

You might receive a suggestion for a root canal from the endodontist in 77018 if the dental pulp, the soft tissue inside the root canal, becomes infected or inflamed. Many reasons can contribute to the infection or inflammation of the dental pulp, including untreated tooth decay and repeated dental procedures on the same tooth or teeth or cracks in it. In addition, any injury on the tooth can damage the dental pulp even without any visible signs of injury. Unfortunately, if the dental pulp infection remains untreated, it eventually results in a dental abscess.

How to Determine Whether You Need a Root Canal?

You will experience symptoms such as severe pain when biting or chewing with a specific tooth, pimples on the gums, chipped or cracked teeth, lingering sensitivity to temperatures even after removing the sensation, deep decay doctoring of the gums, and swollen and tender gums.

When you experience the symptoms mentioned, you must meet the dentist in Maspeth to discuss whether you need root canal treatment to alleviate your discomfort.

The Root Canal Procedure

If you decide to receive root canal treatment in Ridgewood, NY, the procedure is relatively straightforward because the Maspeth dentist initially x-rays your tooth to determine the severity of the damage within. You receive local anesthesia near the affected tooth besides sedation to numb the tooth and your dental anxiety. The dentist places a protective sheet over the affected tooth to isolate it during the treatment and keep it free from saliva.

The Maspeth dentist makes a tiny access hole in the tooth’s crown to expose the affected dental pulp. They use small flexible surgical instruments to eliminate the infected pulp from its chamber and root canals to shape the space for a filling.

After cleaning and shaping the root canals, the dentist fills them with a biocompatible rubber-like gutta-percha with adhesives to ensure complete sealing of the canals. They also temporarily fill the tooth’s crown to close the access hole created to expose the dental pulp.

You must visit your regular dentist after you recover from the endodontic therapy to restore your tooth with a dental crown to ensure the restoration strengthens the tooth by restoring its shape, size, and appearance.

Are There Any Risks Involved in Root Canals?

Root canal treatments are successful with over 98 percent of patients receiving the therapy regaining functionality of the affected tooth and using it for many years. However, every surgical procedure has some associated risks, and root canals are no exception. Occasionally when the treatment is performed on molars containing multiple canals, the specialist might miss an infection within the tooth causing pain and discomfort immediately after or years after receiving endodontic treatment to eliminate the infection inside your tooth. However, specialists can perform another similar procedure after identifying the problem to help relieve you from the discomfort and continue enjoying the functionality of your natural tooth.

Besides the above, most people receiving endodontic therapy confirm they can use the affected tooth without problems like their natural teeth for many years.

Root canals were earlier fearsome because of the lack of technology and the latest anesthesia. Thankfully dentistry advances and the advent of local anesthetics with sedation help endodontic specialists to complete root canal treatment painlessly and eradicate dental pulp infections helping patients to preserve their natural teeth instead of getting them extracted.

Endodontic therapy is the only technique currently available to eradicate dental pulp infections arising from damage to the teeth, untreated infections, and improper dental hygiene. If you need endodontic therapy, you must accept your dentist’s proposal to receive the treatment without delay or ignoring it. Not receiving the therapy when recommended can result in tooth extraction, making tooth replacement options essential to prevent the problems.

If you experience the symptoms of needing a root canal, Mamkin Dentistry performs these treatments in Ridgewood, providing relief from the excruciating pain you experience in a specific tooth. Consult the practice today to get your tooth evaluated and treated immediately to prevent the need for artificial tooth restorations.