The Root Canal Process – What You Can Expect

Root canal process : If you’re in need of root canal treatment, the process can be scary, especially if you’ve never had one before. Thankfully, though, this process usually isn’t as painful as it sounds, and the discomfort associated with it tends to be very temporary. To help you get through this process more easily, here’s what you can expect from your root canal treatment and what you should do beforehand to make sure your experience goes as smoothly as possible.

 

Root canal treatments are very common

More than 15 million are performed each year in dentists’ offices across America. While these may be scary sounding procedures, they really aren’t so bad. If you need a root canal treatment, your dentist will discuss with you how it works, what to expect and what your overall treatment plan will look like. Here is a general overview of what you can expect from your root canal treatment

 

Anesthesia is used

A root canal procedure is usually performed without anesthesia, but patients can request local anesthetic or nitrous oxide if they would like it. Sometimes, if a patient has certain medical conditions or if a dentist feels that a local anesthetic may not be safe for them, general anesthesia might be used. General anesthesia is sometimes preferred because it reduces anxiety in some patients and sedates them so they don’t feel pain as much. The choice of whether to use general or local anesthetic is up to your dentist, but he or she will work with you to figure out what’s best. Most root canal procedures are performed without general anesthesia though.

 

Keep your teeth clean in between visits

Once you get a root canal, it’s important to make sure your teeth stay clean. By maintaining proper oral hygiene and eating habits, you can keep your teeth healthy in between visits. This means brushing at least twice a day and flossing daily. It’s also important to visit your dentist every six months for checkups. Root canals can be incredibly effective if properly cared for; you should never need another treatment again! But don’t neglect your teeth after treatment just because it worked! Regularly seeing a dental professional is crucial for preventing further tooth decay and damage later on down the road. The best thing about root canals is that they often save teeth from being pulled, which is much more expensive than treating cavities with fillings or root canals!

 

What to expect during the procedure

The dentist will numb your tooth and surrounding area with a local anesthetic, after which they’ll remove any decayed or infected tissue from inside your tooth. Then, to clean out any more infection, they’ll drill tiny holes into your tooth and fill it with a disinfectant. Because of that step, you may feel a tingling sensation in your mouth. That might feel uncomfortable initially, but it quickly goes away as you get used to it. After that, there’s one last step: The dentist will place a filling over your cleaned-out tooth to protect it from future damage and strengthen its inner walls. Finally, you’re free to enjoy pain-free munching again!

 

Tips and Precautions

It’s not a pleasant topic of conversation, but it’s an important one: Root canals are essential if you want to keep your natural teeth. Although root canal procedures are very common and successful, they aren’t without risks—the most serious of which is tooth loss. For example, if you have an infected tooth or a cracked or broken tooth, you’ll need to have a root canal before that damage spreads throughout your jawbone and causes additional issues. In fact, one in four people who doesn’t get their canals done will lose all their teeth by age 50. Here are some tips and precautions when going through a root canal process