Root Canal Therapy
When the nerve of a tooth is dying, decaying or is infected, the root of a tooth is affected and root canal therapy is needed. There are times that deep restorations or even an external trauma occurs to a tooth and the pulp becomes damaged to the point it needs root canal therapy. When the pulp of a tooth is infected, it can’t heal on its own and may form a localized infection called an abscess. Signs and symptoms of this infected pulp can include severe tooth pain, tenderness around a specific tooth, pain to biting or any kind of pressure, a bad taste in the mouth, or sensitivity to hot and cold. Sometimes there can be no symptoms and the patient is unaware until a checkup occurs. Root canal therapy is used to save the tooth as a whole by removing the living tissue inside the tooth which is known as the pulp, nerves, and any present bacteria. Root canal therapy is a treatment that has proven success in removing tooth pain.
Is Root Canal Therapy Painful and How Long Does it Take?
For most patients when they hear they need a root canal they initially assume they will have pain. However, root canal is a treatment to help get the patient out of pain. With today’s advanced analgesics and technology, root canal therapy doesn’t have to hurt. Typically the patient will only feel discomfort in the beginning during the application of anesthetic. Regarding the time of the procedure it can vary depending on the tooth as different teeth have either one to four roots and each root needs to be treated properly. Whatever tooth needs the root canal, the procedure should ideally take only one visit. Most patients should plan on spending up to 90 minutes for a root canal procedure.
If you have any further questions we would be happy to help answer them. Set up an appointment to be seen here at Artista Dental Studio.