Of all the dental procedures you might experience in your lifetime, the root canal remains the treatment most people fear. When facing root canal therapy, some people will have the infected tooth pulled rather than subject themselves to the procedure. Not understanding the anatomy of teeth is one reason you might fear this treatment, but the myths surrounding root canal therapy are overwhelmingly responsible for its bad reputation.
Root canals are part of man’s history, with archeologist discovering a 2000 year old jawbone bearing evidence of a root canal in 1985. Since modern dentists have access to anesthetics that were unavailable before the 1600’s, root canals may be painless. However, infection can make pain control challenging. If you have an aggressive infection, the dentist may have you take antibiotics before and/or after your treatment to fight shrink the infection, making your having a pain free experience more likely. If your infection is extreme or has spread to neighboring tissues, other teeth and gums included, your dentist may refer you to an endodontist for your Root Canal in Columbia TN.
Teeth have central chambers, or canals, running the length of their roots to the root tips. If the nerve inside the canal dies and becomes infected, the nerve and other tissues are removed from the canal. Once your dentist has removed the canal’s contents he or she packs the newly emptied space with a rubbery material to seal the tooth. Ancient root canals ended with the tooth being covered with a protective substance like asbestos or gold foil. Today’s dentist may install a temporary crown or filling directly after your procedure, then replace the temporary protection with a permanent crown or filling.
When people talk about painful root canals, they may have had complications or the procedure may have failed, which happens with 5% of all root canals. This may happen when:
* Infected tooth was not completely removed.
Tooth improperly sealed or filled.
Saliva contaminated the tooth.
The crown cracks.
The tooth develops a new infection.
Your fear of pain is understandable and natural, but today’s dentists have tools and pain medications that make root canal therapy easier to bear. If you need a Root Canal in Columbia TN, Visit the website and make your appointment, today.
