The Dental Health and Root Canals
In the vintage era, if one had a tooth with a diseased nerve, then one would probably lose that tooth. Today, with a special dental procedure called the root canal treatment, your tooth can be saved. Root canals are a relatively simple procedure with involving one to three office visits. Best despite all, having a root canal when necessary can save your tooth and your smile!
Underneath each tooth’s outer enamel is an area of the soft tissue which is called the pulp, something which carries the tooth’s nerves, arteries, and veins. Root canals are very small, the thin passageways that branch off from the top pulp chamber through the root tip. A tooth can have up to four root canals in total.
At times, the pulp inside the tooth becomes infected by a disease or a bacteria or damaged by a traumatic injury to the tooth. An infected or untreated root canal can allow the bacteria in the mouth to enter the bloodstream and then cause infections in other parts of the body too. Also, to staving off the potentially harmful infections in other parts of the body, the root canal treatment can save your damaged tooth.
The Root canal treatments typically affect the root tip or the nerve of the tooth and also the structures called the pulp chamber, root canal, and pulp. The procedure also involves the removal of diseased or damaged pulp inside the tooth, disinfection, the cleaning and reshaping of the inner canals beneath the tooth and preparation of the tooth for the later placement of a filling and in most cases, an artificial crown made up of porcelain or gold. The procedure also enables one to keep most of your original tooth.
What happens during a root canal?
The Root canal treatment involves one to three visits to the doctor. During the treatment, your general dentist or the endodontic (a dentist who specializes in problems with the nerves of the teeth) removes the affected tissue from your teeth. Then the interior of the tooth will be cleaned and sealed. Finally, the tooth is filled with the dental composite. If your tooth had an extensive decay, your doctor might suggest placing a crown to strengthen and protect the tooth from the breakage. As long as one continues to care for the teeth and gums with the regular brushing, flossing and the checkups, then your restored tooth can last a lifetime.