Root Canal Surgery Is The Ideal Solution For An Infected Tooth

Before the twentieth century, dentistry basically meant that if you were going to the dentist you were getting teeth yanked out of your head! When a tooth became infected, the solution was to yank the tooth out - there was no other solution available at the time.

When a tooth becomes severely infected, a pus pocket will form in the root and pulp chamber. Should the pus pocket burst, the bacteria will enter the blood stream and the person will become ill. Root canals are now the preferred manner in which to handle extreme tooth infections. But what is a root canal exactly? Surely you’ve heard of them but maybe you don’t know exactly how they work.

A tooth infection happens when a cavity decays to the center of the tooth and enters the pulp chamber and infects the nerve. Not many people realize that the tooth nerve is no longer needed once the teeth and gums have become fully developed; its primary purpose at that point is to send a signal to the brain of hot or cold sensation. When the nerve becomes infected it will try to repair itself but more likely than not the nerve will die and the infection may spread to other areas of the body. Before the pus pocket bursts and the infection spreads, action must be taken to save the tooth.

One of the first steps when performing a root canal is to numb the patient’s mouth. This may seem unnecessary since the nerve is dead, but it must be done as a precautionary measure. The surgery is a very delicate procedure and precautions must be taken; the dentist needs to make sure that a patient is at ease and fully relaxed in order to perform this procedure correctly and efficiently.

Root canals are normally performed on teeth that have excessive decay. The dentist will remove the pulp and dead nerve during the procedure. An access hole will be drilled through the top of the tooth all the way down into the pulp chamber. Your dentist will then remove the infected tissue and the dead nerve. Once all the tissue has been removed the dentist will inject an antibacterial medicine that must remain inside the pulp chamber for several days. This medicine is left in place in order to prevent any further infections from developing.

Once the dentist has finished completely removing infected tissue and is sure that all bacteria is clear from the tooth, the pulp chamber will be filled with a rubber-like substance. Once that is done, antibacterial cement will be placed into the tooth's pulp chamber. The cement will permanently seal the tooth and prevent any further bacteria from entering. A protective cap (usually a porcelain crown) will then be placed on top of the tooth. The tooth and its root are then ready for normal, daily use.

When a patient finds out that they may need a root canal, they tend to shy away because of the painful reputation associated with the procedure - they've always been considered an extremely painful form of surgery. Thanks to modern technology and advanced anesthetics, patients no longer feel excessive pain when undergoing the procedure. After the procedure is complete, any discomfort or pain can be alleviated with aspirin or acetaminophen.

Root canals should not be feared. If you have any further question on how root canals work or whether or not you may need one, contact your local dentist and schedule a consultation.