Toothache can be a real pain. If you’re battling toothache constantly, it’s time you visited your dentist. Ongoing dental pain may be a sign of an infection or severe decay. In this case, we can use root canal therapy to save your tooth and free you from troublesome toothache.
What does root canal treatment involve?
Root canal treatment is a routinely performed dental procedure, which is called into action when an infection has reached the living part of the tooth, known as the pulp. The pulp contains the blood vessels and the nerves. When the pulp is damaged or decayed, the tooth starts to die, as blood supply is reduced. If root canal treatment is carried out in time, it’s possible to save the tooth.
Before you have root canal treatment, the tooth will be numbed completely to prevent you from feeling any pain. When you can’t feel a thing, your dentist will drill into the tooth to access the root canals. They will then clean the tooth, clear out the canals, and remove the decayed pulp tissue. When all traces of damaged tissue have been removed, your dentist will use filling material called gutta percha to fill the root canals. The root canals are then sealed to prevent further infection.
After root canal treatment, we place a new crown on the tooth. This will help to make it stronger.
Is root canal treatment painful?
Root canal treatment has a bad reputation. If you mention those words all in the same sentence, you’re often greeted with anxious looks. The truth is that root canal treatment isn’t painful because the tooth is numbed using anaesthetic. You may feel very mild discomfort after the anaesthetic has worn off, but we do recommend taking painkillers if you do have any pain. We often find that patients build themselves up for something horrific and then leave us wondering why on earth they were so anxious. If you are nervous about having treatment, don’t hesitate to mention this to our dentists. They are there to help you, and they’ll do everything they can to make you feel relaxed.
