Root Canal: What is it?

A root canal is a treatment that a qualified dentist performs in order to save a tooth, which has been severely infected or damaged. It is quite a complex procedure. For a root canal procedure, an experienced dentist or an orthodontist removes the pulp from the affected tooth, and then they disinfect, refill, and seal the same tooth.

There are many circumstances, which can demand a root canal treatment. They include severe decay, chip or crack in your tooth, large fillings, infected tooth nerve, or trauma to the tooth. Any of these conditions can irritate, inflame, and infect a tooth’s pulp and cause an abscess inside the tooth. The symptom of this is a severe toothache, tooth sensitivity, tooth discoloration, or swelling of the nearby gums.

A root canal treatment also becomes important because the bacteria in the abscess, due to damaged pulp, can adversely affect your overall health. These bacteria can leak into your blood stream and travel to other organs in your body. Therefore, if you experience swelling and severe toothache, visit your dentist at your earliest to find out whether you need a root canal treatment.

What happens during the diagnosis and root canal treatment?

If you visit your local family dentist and if they find out that you need a root canal therapy, here are some of the activities you can expect from them to save your tooth:

• An X-ray: The first step in the root canal procedure is to take an X-ray. Your dentist will take an X-ray of the affected tooth to examine it and identify where the abscess or decay could be.

• Local Anesthesia: Before the root canal therapy begins, your dentist will put you on local anesthesia. The anesthesia is used to numb the area around the affected tooth. The motive to use anesthesia is to prevent you from feeling any anxiety, pain, and other kinds of discomfort you may experience during the procedure.

• A Pulpectomy: It is a procedure where your dentist makes an opening in the affected tooth in order to remove the pulp tissue.

• A Dental Filling: Your dentist will perform this procedure after removing and cleaning the pulp of the affected tooth. The filling is usually done with the gutta-percha material. After filling, your dentist seals the tooth with cement.

• A Dental Crown: After filling and sealing your tooth, your dentist will place a dental crown over it in order to prevent any further damage and infection.

What to expect after root canal therapy?

After the treatment, you will feel some sensitivity around the area where the root canal therapy was performed. This is an indication of healing. Apart from sensitivity, your jaw would feel sore and tender. This is because of keeping your mouth open for a lengthy root canal procedure. Your dentist will, however, prescribe some over-the-counter pain medications. You must take them as per the instructions (these medicines may cause drowsiness, so be wary). Your dentist may recommend you not to eat anything at least until the numbness in your mouth is gone. You will also need to take care not to bite or chew with the treated tooth until it is healed completely. Finally, you will need to maintain your oral hygiene by regularly brushing and flossing.

Are you in Tysons Corner and need a root canal? Experienced dentists at SmilePerfectors are the best for Root Canal in Tysons Corner. To learn how SmilePerfectors can help with root canal therapy in Tysons, visit http://smileperfectors.com/page/root-canal-therapy.