When you wake up to a calendar alert of an upcoming root canal appointment, you can’t help but have a dip in your stomach. Compared to other dental procedures, root canal holds the candle of having the worst reputation. However, root canal treatment can be a pleasant process and give better results that will make the procedure more worthwhile. For a painless and easy root canal treatment, visit our Immediate Smiles Dentures & Dentistry offices near you.

Why do You Need Root Canal Treatment?

A root canal is a dental procedure to remove the infected part of the root pulp, relieve pain, save your natural tooth, and prevent reinfection. The oral bacteria usually invade the root pulp after a cavity has been left untreated for a long time. Additionally, a root canal may be necessary after the tooth has been cracked or damaged by trauma. Here are symptoms that you may require root canals in Spring.

  • Tooth Sensitivity. Do your teeth hurt every time you take a hot cup of coffee or a scoop of ice cream? Then it could mean that you need a root canal treatment, particularly if the pain lingers for more than a second.
  • Discoloration. When your root pulp is infected, your teeth may look darker. This usually happens because of a lack of enough blood supply to the tooth.
  • Swollen Gums. Pus collects around the infected part of the tooth, which can lead to tender, puffy, or swollen gums.
  • Loose Tooth. When a tooth is infected, it may feel looser. The reason is that the pus from the infected pulp will soften the bone that supports the tooth.
  • Cracked or Chipped Tooth. Have your teeth experienced direct trauma through an accident while playing sports or after biting on a hard object? When your teeth crack or chip after the trauma, oral bacteria can easily access the tooth pulp and cause infection.
  • Severe Tooth Pain. The list of how many dental issues can cause dental aches is endless. If you are experiencing pain deep into your teeth, you may be due for root canal therapy. You may also have discomfort on your face, jaw, or other teeth.
  • Pimple on The Gums. When your teeth are infected, you may develop a pimple or boil on your gums. Additionally, the abscess or the boil may drain pus which can cause an unpleasant taste or smell.
  • Swollen Jaw. This occurs after the pus fails to drain from the site.
  • Pain When Eating or Chewing. If you are experiencing pain every mealtime or when touching your tooth, it means that the nerves around the pulp are damaged or infected.

Does it hurt if you do Root Canal?

Are you worried your root canal procedure will hurt? Professional root canal therapy procedures use local anesthesia to numb the pain. The pain experienced during a root canal treatment usually comes from the affected tooth itself before its treated. According to our dentist, in Spring, the pain disappears after the infected part of the pulp is removed, and painful root canals are a myth. Additionally, even without anesthesia, one shouldn’t experience pain during a root canal treatment. However, to be safe, our dentist at 77388 will use local anesthesia on the infected tooth to prevent even the slightest possibility of pain.

The procedure will take thirty to sixty minutes to complete, but for more complex root canals, the case may take up to ninety minutes or more. Once the tooth has been numbed, the dentist will access the pulp by making a small opening on the top surface of the tooth. The pulp consists of sensitized nerves, blood vessels, and bacteria which the dentist will carefully remove before the canal is removed. The affected site will then be coated using antibiotics to disinfect and prevent reinfection.

A few days after the procedure, you may experience mild pain and discomfort. The pain is normal, short-term, and manageable with prescribed pain medication. Should it last beyond a week, visit your dentist for a check-up.

Recovery

The root canal recovery process usually takes two to three days. Follow the aftercare guidelines provided by your dentist to ensure the process is smooth and quick. Maintain your regular oral hygiene routine of brushing and flossing your teeth and schedule biannual cleaning with your dentist.