Root canal treatmentor endodontics is a treatment to repair teeth that are badly damaged or infected. This treatment can treat tooth problems without having to pull them out, so that your teeth can be reused for comfortable chewing and strong bites of food.
Root canal treatment may sound a bit gruesome. However, don't worry just yet. This type of treatment can actually relieve pain due to infection or inflammation in your teeth. Most of the patients also stated that they felt comfortable during the treatment.
To make sure you stay comfortable during the treatment process, the doctor will give you a local anesthetic, so you don't feel any pain at all. However, a few days after treatment, the teeth may feel more sensitive. To relieve the discomfort, your doctor may give you painkillers to take during your recovery.
Conditions Requiring Root Canal Treatment
Root canal is the term used to describe the natural cavity in the center of a tooth, whereas pulp is the soft part inside a tooth that contains blood vessels, nerves, and connective tissue.
Generally, root canal treatment is performed to treat pain caused by inflammation or infection of the pulp. This can occur due to cavities or injuries to the teeth accompanied by a dirty mouth condition.
Some of the symptoms that indicate a pulp infection are:
- Teeth hurt when exposed to food or drink, especially cold or too hot
- Teeth hurt when biting or chewing
- Teeth feel loose or loose
Pain from food can continue, even though the food or drink is not consumed. In addition, pain can also occur at any time, for example in the middle of the night, and is generally followed by a headache.
If you experience any of these symptoms, you will most likely need root canal treatment. You should immediately consult a dentist to avoid complications, such as dental abscesses and the spread of infection to the jawbone and soft tissues of the face and neck.
Root Canal Treatment Procedure Steps
Before performing root canal treatment, the dentist will conduct a direct dental examination through dental X-rays to determine the condition of the pulp and how much infection or inflammation is occurring.
The following are the steps for root canal treatment carried out by dentists:
- Give a local anesthetic to keep you comfortable during the procedure.
- Putting a rubber guard (rubber/dental dam) above the teeth to be treated to keep them clean and free from saliva and contamination.
- Make an opening at the top of the diseased tooth to reach the root canal.
- Clean the root canal of the tooth and the infected surrounding tissue using a very small tool and a special solution and create a space to fill in a temporary filling.
Within 1 week, the doctor will check again to see if the infection is still there. If so, treatment will be given to treat the infection. But if not, treatment can be continued with permanent fillings or dental crowns.
Root canal treatment has many benefits for the health of your teeth. If you experience symptoms of infection in the pulp as described above, do not delay to consult a dentist.
With root canal treatment as early as possible, the annoying tooth pain can be eliminated and complications can be prevented. After that, don't forget to always take care of your dental health and regularly check your teeth every six months.
