Get To The Root Of Your Dental Issues With Root Canal

Sometimes, the unfortunate ones among us might trip and fall on their face, resulting in a broken tooth. When your teeth break away, chances are that the soft area inside your tooth is known as the pulp also get injured leading to infections. The pulp tissue can die due to the spread of the infection resulting in the removal of your teeth.

But fear not! Dentistry now has a dedicated treatment called endodontics or commonly known as root canal, which treats the infected pulp and stopping the spread of the infection and thereby saving the root of your natural root. Let us learn more about the process-

Understanding the Pulp

The pulp or endodontium is the central part of your teeth made up of living tissue called the odontoblasts. The large mass of pulp contained in the pulp chamber mimics the overall shape of the crown. With the continuous deposit of dentin derived from the dental papilla, the chamber becomes smaller with age. The Pulp chamber is also called the root canal as the nerves inside the tooth is found inside the pulp.

During a tooth injury, the pulp chamber is injured leading to an infection. The pulp can get injured in many ways other than a tooth breakage. Improper or repeated dental procedures, fillings cracked or broken tooth can also lead to injury and infection. When the bacteria start to multiply and goes untreated, even the surrounding tissues can also get affected leading to a tooth abscess, bone loss around the root tip and swelling on the face. Earlier, when the pulp is infected and the tooth becomes non-functional, the only solution was to remove the tooth completely.

Root canal treatment

Unlike in the old days, we now have a root canal or endodontic treatment, specifically designed to save your natural tooth from extraction. The process involves removing the pulp and nerves, clean the pulp chamber and seal the inside of the tooth with a sealant. A crown is later placed over the tooth to make it stronger. The procedure is discussed step by step below-

1. Take an x-ray of the infected tooth to determine the shape of the root canal
2. Administer a local anesthesia to the infected tooth and surrounding tissues
3. Using a dental gum, the dentist now isolates the tooth from the rest of the natural teeth
4. A small hole is drilled into the infected tooth to access the pulp chamber
5. Using instruments like the root canal files, the dead pulp, tissues, and nerves along with the bacteria are flushed out.
6. Ones the root canals are cleaned and disinfected, an adhesive called a sealer is used to fill the root canal and seal them. Sometimes, a crown is placed over the tooth to avoid any further contamination.
7. For treating the infection, an antibiotic is prescribed to the patient to prevent the infection.

Why save your tooth?

Saving your natural teeth has its advantages. As you have already guessed, you don’t have to wear an artificial tooth and can easily chew and bite on all your food without worries. Now maintain your perfect smile with root canal /endodontics treatment.