The Truth about Root Canal

Root canal... two words that can bring a grown man to tears. Thoughts of medieval torture become rampant.

Faced with root canal, many women say they would rather give birth than go through it. Many men lose that tough guy attitude and start to squirm and sweat.

The truth is that there is no reason anyone should fear root canal. With modern pain management and judicious use of antibiotics, the treatment for a tooth needing root canal therapy is routine and predictable. Many times the procedure is painless with little or no post-op discomfort. There is no reason anyone should elect to extract a tooth just because they have been scared into believing a root canal procedure will be a bad experience.

In order to understand the procedure, one must first visualize the anatomy of a tooth. The outside layer is called enamel. This is the whitest part of the tooth and the part that people see when you smile. The next layer, just underneath the enamel, is called the dentin layer In the center of the dentin layer is the pulp of the tooth. The dental pulp is made up of nerves, blood vessels, and connective tissue.

Deep decay, fracture and trauma are the main reasons the pulp gets diseased or injured. A dead pulp, just like any other dead tissue in the body, will abscess, or form a pus pocket. This infected area can cause pain and swelling in the area of the tooth. If left untreated, the infection can spread to other structures of the face and head.

In root canal, the offending tooth is thoroughly anesthetized, an opening is made to expose the nerve and the tissue is removed. Then a special filling material is used to seal the inside of the tooth to prevent an infection from starting again. Many times a crown is placed on the tooth to prevent it from breaking.

The important thing here to remember is that most teeth that end up needing root canal do so because a small problem was not taken care of in a timely fashion. If your dentist tells you of the need to restore an area where a cavity or crack has started, try to have it corrected promptly. Do not forget about things and hope it will go away - it won't.

Today, root canal therapy can allow you to keep your teeth for a lifetime. Also, the truth is that many times if you are careful to continue routine dental care with periodic examinations and cleanings, many problems can be avoided or at least minimized

Newtown Dental Care 7 Cambridge Lane Newtown PA 18940
Phone 215.968.7787