The Pain Alleviating Guide to Root Canals

The Pain Alleviating Guide to Root Canals

If you ever had a toothache, then you know the pain that comes with it. A dentist in Port Melbourne can help alleviate this pain by treating the problem before it becomes severe, but what if they can’t? This is where root canal treatment comes in. 

Root canal therapy may sound intimidating, but don’t worry – we are here to break down everything for you! Read on for information about how root canals work and why they’re necessary, as well as some common misconceptions about them. 

What is Root Canal?

Root canal is a type of dental technique used to preserve teeth after being injured or suffering from an infection. During this treatment, your dentist will clean out any inflamed tissue in the pulp chamber while disinfecting and filling it with special chemicals. It prevents cracking at the same time. A crown may also be placed on the tooth structure to protect against chipping away due to accidents. 

Root canal treatment is a great way to preserve your teeth, but it has risks. It removes any disease that may have taken over the root of the tooth and leave you with healthy roots for an implant or other treatments in the future. The most common risk of this procedure is when there is no filling material left within them after they are cleaned out. That’s because then they will start breaking down more quickly than usual due to cracks on top.

Signs That Tell You the Necessity of Getting Root Canal Treatment

Inflamed Gums:

Toothaches are one sign that your teeth are trying to tell you something. As an infected tooth tries to “vent” the toxic infection results, it may also cause gums and surrounding tissue around them (referred to as soft palate) swollen redden.  

Gum Colour Change:

A dead or the dying tooth may turn grey over time as its blood supply diminishes. If this is on a front tooth, it will be more noticeable than if you have dark gums around your mouth from an infection that has begun to affect them too.

Loosening Tooth:

With an infection, the bone around your teeth may change and cause them to move more freely. A loose tooth can be uncomfortable and harmful for chewing food properly.

Broken Tooth:

When cracks extend down into the tooth root, it is usually impossible to save them. They must be treated with a root canal or alternative options.

Intense Cavity:

A cavity can cause many of the signs above, such as pain. Your dentist may use x-rays or a cone-beam CT (CBCT) to diagnose how far along with your tooth decay is for getting rid of it properly.

Bruise On the Gum (fistula):

A fistula is a small white, yellow, or red pimple-like bump that appears on the gum. This tells your dentist about an infection because pus and blood are trying to get out of your mouth. 

Conclusion

The success rate for root canal methods is between 80.1%-86%. The risk of failure decreases most significantly (below 90%) after five years have passed following treatment. However, it can still cause problems over time. It may require another procedure to fix them if their condition becomes too advanced or chronic. Therefore, it’s vital that you watch out for CBCT every 3-5 years post endodontic therapy to detect early.