Learn Information About Root Canal Therapy

If you’re hoping to save a tooth that is dead or dying, then you might be thinking about root canal therapy. Unfortunately, many patients who have root canal therapy recommended to them are actually folks that have been diagnosed wrong.

This article seeks to educate you about root canal treatment.

Using the information presented here, you should hopefully know if you’re making a good decision, as well as learn potential alternatives.


Just What Exactly Is Root Canal Therapy?

In the simplest terms, a root canal treatment is a way to save any tooth that might clinically be labelled as something already “dead.” Endodontic treatment is another name for this approach, and it involves removing the dead or infected pulp from a tooth, in the actual root canal area. That’s the actual hard part of your teeth. Once the dead or infected matter gets removed, the remaining cavity gets replaced with some kind of permanent filling. Everything is then fitted with a crown, completing the saving of the tooth.

Root Canal | Vineyard Dental ClinicWhen root canal procedures are skipped or avoided, the situation can get worse. That means the infection grows in severity and eventually creates an abscess. The pus collection results in a bacterial infection that can spread easily to surrounding tissue.


Who Is Qualified To Perform A Root Canal Surgery?

In the country of Australia, this work can be done by general dentists, who typically have 4 to 5 years of training and education in broader dentistry. Furthermore, it can also be done by an endodontist, which is a professional who specializes in root canal therapy. These professionals have the same levels of training and education in general dentistry but also have 3 to 4 additional years in their specialist training. If you’d like to increase your odds of success, get more detailed information about root canal therapy, and have a clearer indication into costs, then consulting an endodontist over a general practitioner is a smart choice.


Causes And Symptoms Of Root Canal Complications

Even if you think you personally require root canal work to be done, never self-diagnose. Visit your general dentist to get an initial assessment and consultation done. He or she can verify the symptoms and/or causes and then refer you to an endodontist who might make the actual decision on the need and kind of root canal treatment that should or shouldn’t happen.


7 Symptoms That Might Require Root Canal Therapy Work:

1) Tooth discoloration

2) Cracks that penetrate a tooth’s root canal

3) Substantial biting discomfort that remains over time

4) Severe toothache or sensitivity

5) Nerve damage in a tooth evident from cold and hot foods causing discomfort

6) Pain when a tooth is pressed or touched

6) Damage or trauma to a tooth that impacts the inside nerve


5 Potential Causes That End Up Needing Endodontic Treatment

1) Tooth canal infection causing severe pain

2) Multiple dental procedures performed on one tooth

3) Untreated chips or cracks in a tooth

4) Faulty crowns

5) Deep decay


How Does Endodontic Treatment Save A Tooth?


During any procedure done, the dead or infected pulp will get removed from inside the tooth through use of small but specialized tools. Whatever dentist is doing the work will see to it that all infected matter is removed, in order to prevent problems from reoccurring. Once the canals and tooth cavity are cleared, then the tooth gets cleaned with robust disinfectant before being filled with a filling that is like rubber. That filling is allowed to cure before a crown gets cemented the tooth, completing the process. After a period of restoration, that saved tooth will function just like a normal tooth.


When the treatment happens at an appropriate time, root canal therapy has very high success rates and several advantages over tooth extraction or a dental implant. They include affordability, an unchanged appearance since the natural tooth stays in place, maintenance of normal sensation and biting force, and a restoration of chewing efficiency. Treatment typically requires one to two weeks over two visits, the first of which involves any drillings and fillings, followed by a subsequent visit where the crown placement happens. Treatment usually requires antibiotics, drilling, local anaesthetic, canal cleaning and shaping, and root filling placement. Aftercare is just normal maintenance and cleaning.


Root canal costs can run from a few grand to almost four thousand in general cases. General dentists are usually about a quarter to a third cheaper, but endodontists have higher rates of success. International dental tourism can be a lot cheaper, but also complicated and risky. Having read this article, you’ve learned a bit about root canal therapy. Continue reading up on the matter so you have the knowledge you need to make an informed decision about what specific treatment you may or may not need.