What is a root canal treatment?

A root canal treatment is a curative dental treatment. This involves taking the pulp and surrounding tissues of a tooth out and filling the area with a dental filling. It is one of the most common dental procedures and is usually a result of severe dental cavities. It is also called endodontic therapy in dentistry.

Why do you need root canal therapy?

You need root canal therapy when you have a condition called pulpitis. Pulpitis is a condition in which the pulp of a tooth is contaminated with bacteria. This happens when bacteria penetrate a tooth or the pulp of a tooth has been exposed.

Why you may get pulpitis

You may need pulpitis broadly because of two reasons. The first is the most common of the two- poor oral health. When plaque and tartar have built up on your teeth, they can form cavities if not cleaned. Untreated dental cavities let bacteria further penetrate the tooth to reach the pulp of the tooth.

You may also get pulpitis if the pulp of a tooth has been exposed. This may happen due to a dental injury. When you have a chipped or cracked tooth, the innermost layer can get exposed to the bacteria inside your mouth.

Symptoms that you may need root canal therapy

Often times, pulpitis could go unnoticed. This is because the symptoms may feel very subtle in the beginning. It’s only at an advanced stage that you feel like something’s seriously wrong with your tooth. To stay ahead, look for these common symptoms that you need root canal treatment:

• • Heightened teeth sensitivity
  • Toothache
  • Sensitivity to hot and cold food.
  • Fever
  • Swollen lymph nodes
  • Persistent bad breath
  • Swollen gums around a particular tooth.

The root canal treatment procedure

1. 1. At first, the dentist will create an access hole in your infected tooth.
   2. Dental files will be used to pull out the infected pulp and surrounding tissues through the access hole.
   3. A dental filling called Gutta Percha will be used to fill the hollow area.

Is a root canal treatment Painful?

A root canal treatment probably wouldn’t hurt you at all. This is because firstly, the dentist will provide sedation to you to ensure a painless dental procedure. Secondly, due to pulpitis, nerve tissues around the pulp could be too much damaged to transfer distress signals.

Often, the nerve tissues do stay proactive despite the infection. What if you can’t find a dentist who provides sedation in that case? Don’t panic! You can get the best dentist for root canal treatment near you in Jacksonville FL who offers sedation, here.