What to Expect During a Root Canal | Riverside, Ca Dentist

To most patients the thought of needing a root canal is very stressful. With modern dentistry root canals are nothing to fear. Root canal procedures have the reputation of being painful. When in fact most patients report that the procedure itself is no more painful than having a filling placed.

So what exactly is involved in a root canal procedure? Well, a root canal is a treatment used to repair and save a tooth that is badly decayed or infected. It is performed when the nerve of the tooth becomes infected or the pulp becomes damaged. The nerve and pulp are removed, and the inside of the tooth is cleaned and sealed.

Signs you may need root canal therapy include:

• Severe toothache pain upon chewing or application of pressure
• Prolonged sensitivity (pain) to hot or cold temperatures (after the heat or cold has been removed)
• Discoloration (darkening) of the tooth
• Swelling and tenderness in nearby gums
• A persistent or recurring pimple on the gums

The first step in the procedure is to take an X-ray to see the shape of the root canals and determine if there are any signs of infection in the surrounding bone. Your dentist or endodontist will then use local anesthesia to numb the area near the tooth. Actually, anesthesia may not be necessary, since the nerve is dead, but most dentists still anesthetize the area to make the patient more relaxed and at ease.

An access hole will then be drilled into the tooth. The pulp, along with bacteria, the decayed nerve tissue, and related debris, is removed from the tooth. The cleaning-out process is accomplished using root canal files. A series of these files of increasing diameter are each subsequently placed into the access hole and worked down the full length of the tooth to scrape and scrub the sides of the root canals.

The root canal procedure should relieve the pain you feel. Until your root canal procedure is completely finished — that is, the permanent filling is in place and a crown, if needed, is in place — it’s wise to minimize chewing on the tooth under repair. This step will help avoid recontaminating the tooth’s interior and also may prevent a fragile tooth from breaking before the tooth can be fully restored.

For the first few days following the completion of treatment, the tooth may feel sensitive due to natural tissue inflammation, especially if there was pain or infection before the procedure. Most patients can return to their normal activities the next day.

As far as oral health care is concerned, brush and floss as you regularly would, and see your dentist at normally scheduled intervals. Because the final step of the root canal procedure is application of a restoration such as a crown.

Root canals are highly successful; the procedure has more than a 95% success rate. Many teeth fixed with root canal therapy can last a lifetime.

If you have tooth pain or believe you may need a root canal, contact Dr. Middleton today.

For more information call Dr. Gerald Middleton in Riverside, CA at (951) 470-3379. Visit our website for special offers, updates and to make an appointment, www.gmdental.com.

Accepting patients from Riverside, Norco, Ontario,  Murrieta, Fontana and surrounding communities.

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