If your dentist has recommended that you get a root canal, you may be wondering what exactly that is and why you would need a root canal instead of filling the cavity or extracting the tooth. Actually, a root canal is what you might want to consider a ‘last ditch’ effort to save a tooth that is deeply decayed and may be severely infected at the same time. Before trying to understand what a root canal is, you may want to know a bit more about how your root canal specialist made the diagnosis, and then a little bit about what is involved.
What Brought You to the Dentist?
While there may be times when a routine examination and full set of x-rays led your dentist to recommend a root canal, those times are quite infrequent. Usually you will notice a severe amount of pain in the affected tooth and the pain may be severe enough that OTC painkillers aren’t effective. Typically, a person suffering this much pain may also have an infection in that tooth, which exacerbates the problem.
How the Diagnosis Was Made
Upon examining the tooth and the x-ray, your dentist will find that the decay has reached the most interior part of the tooth where the pulp is located. Your tooth is either going to be extremely damaged or infected, and as mentioned, perhaps both. When a simple filling won’t fix the damage, but the tooth is still salvageable, the dentist may recommend a root canal.
What You Can Expect During a Root Canal
Your dentist will numb the tooth and surrounding area with local anesthesia and then will do what is called a pulpectomy that opens a pathway to the pulp so that the damaged and infected pulp within the roots can be removed. Your dentist will then clean and disinfect the area before filling the cleansed area with a hard, thermoplastic material called gutta-percha. Finally, the dentist will seal the tooth with cement. That tooth may or may not need a crown. You will also be sent home with aftercare instructions to minimize the pain and to help that area heal as quickly as possible.
If you have been experiencing excruciating pain and believe that the tooth is infected, contact us today to set up an appointment. The sooner you call, the quicker we can help relieve that pain. There is no need to suffer when you can be seen by the very best root canal specialist in NYC.
If you need dental care, call one of the best root canal dentists in New York at 646-205-3045. Our offices are available to help you to get the support and care you need to improve your oral health and protect your teeth.