Oral surgery for root canals can make some patients nervous, especially if it is their first time. Here are some of the common questions that first-time patients have about root canals.
Why Root Canals?
A root canal is done when a cavity has gotten out of hand. For instance, when your cavity is so deep that it hits the tooth pulp, it creates a nice tunnel for bacteria to get in and invade the roots of your tooth. It may also be that the tooth has already had one or more fillings, and so there is not enough tooth structure left to support another filling anyway.
Who Performs a Root Canal?
Some dentists may be qualified to perform oral surgery for a root canal in-house. That's a good idea if you want to have the procedure done in a place that you are familiar with. There are also endodontic specialists whose focus is to provide root canals. Since that is the bulk of their professional work, they might have a more trained skill set when it comes to doing root canals. Your dentist might refer you to an endodontic specialist like Renovo Endodontic Studio to have the root canal done, and then see you back in their office when it's time to have your crown put in place.
What Are the Steps of a Root Canal?
The first step is to give you anesthetics. The dentist then drills into the tooth to remove a portion of the tooth, so that they can reach the infected roots of your tooth. They remove the roots and surrounding tooth pulp. They then apply an antibiotic to your tooth to kill any bacteria there before sealing the tooth up. The filling goes down into the area where the roots used to be to seal that space. After the tooth has some time to heal, you need to get a crown put on the tooth to fully protect it from cracking.
What Is Necessary to Make a Root Canal Successful?
There a few things that you can do as a patient to make this process work better. The first is to be sure to ask questions if you have them. When you know what's going on with your root canal, you can work with your dentist to make the operation go successfully. Second, be sure that you return for the crown; otherwise, your tooth may need to have additional treatments if it cracks or becomes reinfected.
Share2 March 2017
After dealing with a few root canals, I realized that it was time to take my dental hygiene a more seriously. I talked with my dentist about what I could do differently, and he was full of great suggestions that would help. He walked me through different ways to brush, floss, and take care of tartar buildup, and it was really amazing to see the difference that it made. I also started taking a fluoride supplement to strengthen my enamel. When I made it to my next appointment, my dentist was blown away with the improvement. This blog is all about improving your dental appointments by keeping your teeth healthier.
