What Exactly Is A Root Canal?

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In short, a root canal is a dental procedure that is performed to preserve a tooth that is already dead. It is not done in order to save that dead tooth which is the common misconception that most people have. A root canal is unable to save an infected tooth that is decaying but it can most certainly keep it in your mouth.

MAIN REASON FOR A ROOT CANAL

Some people still do choose to pull that infected tooth out but that would mean having to fill up the hole with an implant of an artificial tooth. A root canal provides patients with a simpler alternative of leaving the original structure that is still good to support chewing and speaking properly. A root canal dental procedure also helps to stop the infection within that particular tooth from spreading to other parts of the mouth.

CONSEQUENCES OF A ROOT CANAL

A root canal could possibly cause the decaying tooth to be brittle and thus becoming prone to breakage. This is countered with a follow-up procedure of fixing a crown to protect the root canal. A crown is typically stronger than enamel and rigid enough to preserve the integrity of the tooth’s structure to avoid breakage.

A ROOT CANAL PROCEDURE

The dentist will first remove the infection by cleaning the decaying tooth out carefully to shape its interior. The dentist then fills up and seal the little space to stop any spreading of the infection. This is followed by the second procedure of getting a crown for protection to support proper chewing and speaking from then on.

A ROOT CANAL RECOMMENDATION

A dentist would usually perform several observations and checks before recommending a root canal for your dental condition. The dentist would need to first check on the infection to see how bad the state that it is in to determine if a root canal is a correct treatment for it. The dentist would then ask some questions that help to eliminate or support several considerations of the patient. Questions include finding out the sensitivity level of the tooth to determine if the infection is in a mild or severe state and the degree of pain that the patient is feeling at that current moment.

WAITING BEFORE A ROOT CANAL

Patients still have time to consider before going through a root canal procedure but they should not take too much time to think. The longer they wait, the more the infected tooth would swell up and the risk of the infection spreading to other tissues would then increase. This could cause more serious problems as tissues and nerves are all connected to one’s heart so a delayed procedure could be life-threatening.

DO YOU NEED A ROOT CANAL?

Get a professional assessment of your dental condition by the experts. Call (212) 256-9546 or fill up our online form for a proper dental check today before the infection gets any worst!