Root Canal Therapy
Why Root Canal Therapy?
Root canal therapy can be a lifesaver for some teeth. It’s usually for teeth that have been damaged by decay, infections, or buildup of plaque. These are just a few of the tips to get you started.
Root Canal Therapy Procedure
Root canal therapy starts by removing the infected pulp and cleaning out the empty space using a special instrument. This requires local anesthesia and takes about 1 hour per tooth for a session. Successful root canal therapy stops the pain and prevents future complications such as infection, abscesses (pus pockets), discomfort from food getting stuck between teeth, and tooth loss.
In order to save your tooth, the living tissue inside the tooth (the pulp), nerves, bacteria and any decay will have to be removed.
Sometimes, your dentist may have to take aggressive measures to save a tooth that’s been badly damaged. The treatment of choice to save a tooth that otherwise would die and have to be removed is what is known as a root canal.
Root Canal Therapy Vs Tooth Extraction
Many patients believe that if a tooth has problems, removing it is the solution. What they don’t realize is that extracting a tooth will be more costly, and could cause significant problems for adjacent teeth.
Treatments for the root canal are often very successful and will last a lifetime, but sometimes you’ll need to go back to your dentist because the tooth gets infected again due to new bacteria.
Signs and symptoms for possible root canal therapy:
- An abscess (or pimple) on the gums.
- Sensitivity to hot and cold intakes.
- Severe toothache pain.
- Sometimes no symptoms are present.
- Swelling and/or tenderness of gums.
FAQs About Root Canal Therapy
A root canal is a treatment that’s used to repair and save a tooth that is badly decayed or infected.
During the RCT procedure, your dentist would remove the nerve and pulp from the tooth, and the inside of the tooth is cleaned and sealed.
This procedure is performed by a dentist or endodontist.
The following are the conditions where RCT is appropriate:
- Severely decayed
- Cracked or broken
- Infected or abscessed
- Damaged by trauma
Root canal therapy is performed by a dentist or endodontist, who specializes in treating diseases and injuries of the teeth.
Many people think that root canal therapy is painful however that’s not the case. The fact is that it is no more painful than having a cavity filled. However, most people report little to no pain during the process because the dentist would use local anesthesia to numb the area.
Don’t let the fear of pain stop you from getting your root canal treatment. Visit your nearby dentist and know more about RCT.
Yes, most of the insurance plans cover root canal treatment.
A root canal therapy procedure can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours, depending on the severity of the infection and the tooth.
