Root canals have an undeserved reputation for being a little scary, but the truth is very different. Every year, this treatment saves numerous teeth that would otherwise need to be removed, and at the same time, the therapy gets rid of the pain and discomfort of toothache in Whitby.
A Pain-Free Process
There is no need to worry that this process will be painful because we ensure the tooth is thoroughly numbed before performing any treatment here at Margolian Dentistry. The entire procedure should feel similar to having a filling, but it does take longer because it is technique sensitive and quite a complex procedure. After having root canal therapy, the tooth may feel a bit sensitive for a few days, which is perfectly normal after many dental procedures. It should soon settle down and feel entirely comfortable and pain-free.
What Are the Signs I Need Root Canal Therapy?
The most common sign is a toothache, but you might also notice a tooth has become more sensitive to hot and cold or that the gum around it has started to look swollen or feel tender to touch. A toothache in Ajax is always a sign that something is wrong with the tooth, so please contact us for expert dental care.
Our dentist can gently examine the tooth and the gum around it and may carry out other tests to determine if your tooth is sensitive to temperature changes compared with the rest of your teeth. We will almost certainly need to take a digital dental x-ray of the tooth. This will show us the extent of the infection and allows us to plan treatment thoroughly.
Usually, root canal treatment is needed if you have a tooth that is significantly decayed and hasn’t been restored with a filling, so the decay-causing bacteria have penetrated the dental pulp. Root canal therapy can also be needed if you have an injury to a tooth that has resulted in the dental pulp becoming inflamed, swollen and painful. Other causes include a cracked tooth, as every time you bite down on the crack lets in harmful bacteria. Teeth grinding and clenching and gum disease are all conditions that can damage your teeth.
What Is Root Canal Treatment?
The procedure involves making an opening into a decayed and infected tooth to remove the dental pulp right in the centre. The dental pulp consists of nerves, blood vessels and connective tissues, and the soft tissues extend into the root canals in the tooth roots. Teeth can have just one root or several roots, depending on whether it is a front tooth or a larger back tooth. All the root canals must be thoroughly cleaned, and this can be quite an intricate process as often the tooth roots are quite curved. Getting rid of the dental pulp allows the empty pulp chamber and root canals to be completely cleaned and disinfected, eliminating the bacteria that cause the infection and pain in the first place.
Your tooth only needs the dental pulp while growing and developing, and an adult tooth can survive perfectly well without it. Once the pulp chamber is thoroughly cleaned, it is filled with a material called gutta-percha. Sometimes it’s necessary to place a small post in the tooth, which provides additional strength because a tooth that has received root canal therapy has often lost much of its original structure and is quite weak. The final part of treatment is to restore the tooth, usually by covering it with a dental crown in Oshawa. We can provide the most beautiful all-ceramic crowns that restore the tooth’s strength, structure, and appearance after it receives root canal therapy.
