If you have a severe toothache, you may need root canal therapy in Bowmanville to save the tooth from extraction. Root canal therapy often receives bad press from those who don’t realize what a great treatment it can be and all the benefits it can bring.
What is Root Canal Therapy?
A root canal in Newcastle is a procedure to treat teeth that have become significantly damaged, decayed and infected. At this point, you will almost certainly have dental pain and other unpleasant symptoms. Toothache occurs when the dental pulp right in the central part of the tooth becomes infected and inflamed. Root canal therapy involves removing the pulp, and these tissues extend into the root canals in the tooth roots. After the tissues are removed, the pulp and root canals are irrigated and disinfected. The pulp chamber is permanently sealed once we are sure all the infection is eliminated.
The dental pulp consists of nerves, connective tissues and blood vessels and is important while a tooth develops. However, a tooth can survive perfectly well without its pulp once fully grown but is considered nonvital or nonliving. An infected or inflamed dental pulp will not get better on its own, and over time the infection can worsen and spread to surrounding tissues, including your jawbone.
When to See a Dentist?
If you have a toothache, it’s always important to see an emergency dentist in Clarington as soon as possible. The sooner we can treat an infected tooth, the greater the chance we can save it from extraction. It isn’t normal for a tooth to hurt so severely that it disrupts your sleep or everyday activities. Other signs of a tooth infection include sensitivity to hot, cold, sweet and sour foods and noticing the gum around the tooth looks increasingly inflamed and red and may feel tender to touch. If the infection is particularly severe, it can affect your general health, causing facial swelling, a fever, and a feeling of being unwell. At this stage, you must seek emergency care immediately.
What to Expect During Root Canal Therapy?
Firstly, there is no need to worry that root canal therapy will feel painful as we will numb the tooth, ensuring you do not feel discomfort or pain. Next, our West Bowmanville Family Dental dentist will make an opening in the tooth’s crown, the part visible in your mouth, to expose the pulp chamber right in the centre. The pulp is removed, and we use special files to clean out the root canals. This part of the procedure is completed using microscopic dentistry in Courtice, so these areas are greatly magnified, ensuring we can thoroughly clean the tooth.
At this point, we may insert medication into the empty pulp chamber, and this is to make sure all the infection is removed before a temporary filling is placed. Once the tooth is infection-free, it is sealed permanently with a filling material called gutta-percha. Usually, a tooth that has received root canal treatment will need restoration with a dental crown because it has most likely lost a substantial part of its original structure due to infection or decay. Placing an ordinary filling may not be an option because it wouldn’t be strong enough to restore and support the tooth.
What to Expect After Root Canal Therapy?
Once root canal therapy is complete, your tooth should quickly feel far more comfortable, especially if you had severe toothache before treatment. It may initially feel a bit more sensitive until it settles down, but there should be no significant discomfort.