Why is Root Canal Treatment required?
Even though we can avoid serious dental problems if we maintain excellent oral hygiene and visit a dentist every six months, sometimes we can end up in unfortunate situations. A dentist looks out for your dental wellbeing and will do everything in his power to ensure nothing goes wrong. However, sometimes infections develop, and they can cause a significant amount of damage. Hence, you may require extensive treatment in those conditions to resolve the problem. Root canal therapy in Cambridge, ON, is one of those last option treatments that aim to save a damaged tooth.
What is Root Canal Treatment?
Root canal treatment is performed when there is excessive damage to the tooth and when the infection has reached right at its center. It is one of the last procedures a dentist performs to save a tooth that would otherwise have to be removed. There can be several reasons why such infections occur. Most commonly, they are caused due to extensive tooth decay or physical trauma to the teeth.
That being said, root canal treatments are invasive and can be completely avoided if you brush and floss with a good technique. Avoiding excessive sugary foods can also help in maintaining spotless dental hygiene. And finally, stop smoking if you do. If you practice these three things, you are very unlikely to ever need root canal treatment except in some unavoidable rare cases.
When Do We Need Endodontic Treatment?
As an infection nears the center of your tooth, you will start experiencing certain symptoms that are characteristic of such a situation. You might begin experiencing pain when you chew or drink something from the affected tooth or when you consume something hot or cold. You might even feel your tooth becoming slightly more loosened than the rest of your teeth.
If you ignore the symptoms at this stage, they start to disappear, giving you the illusion that the situation is getting better even though it is actually worsening. Sooner or later, the symptoms will return but with increased magnitude. You may notice pus oozing out of your gum or affected tooth, swelling in your jaw or gums, and a change in the tooth’s outward appearance in terms of color.
Antibiotics don’t work well against treating infections that have made it to the roots of your teeth. They may, however, be effective in limiting its spread outside the confines of the tooth itself. Moreover, having an infected tooth isn’t good for you, and the earlier you seek root canal therapy in Cambridge, ON, the better chances that you will be successful in saving your tooth. If you are too late, there won’t be any other choice but to extract your tooth from its place completely.
Root Canal Treatment Procedure
Endodontic treatment or root canal treatment is a relatively simple procedure when compared with other dental operations. During a root canal, your dentist will give you a local anesthetic to make sure that the entire procedure is done painlessly and seamlessly. So, you won’t feel a thing as your dentist makes his way through the treatment.
The dentist will access the infected area surgically and clear out all the infection that exists in the affected area. He will shape and fill the canals as he deems fit and then properly close up everything to ensure you don’t catch another infection. Once the procedure is completed, your dentist will prescribe antibiotics as the body naturally heals after the procedure.
You are not allowed to bite into hard foods for a specific amount of time after your root canal because that can really hurt. You will be given ibuprofen or other pain killers to manage the discomfort and pain after a root canal is performed. In any case, if you experience swelling or considerable pain, head to your dentist to get it checked out just in case.
If a root canal fails, then a dentist is left with very few options and may have to go for a full-on tooth extraction to treat the infection underneath. Hence, you are urged to schedule an appointment with your dentist as soon as you experience any of the symptoms mentioned above.