Overcoming the Fear of Root Canals

With the greatest reputation of pain a root canal is one of the many dentist procedures that is dreaded. However, many people say that a root canal is only about as painful as getting a new filling.

The real fear associated with root canals is often the fact that the procedure is unknown. Worry, stress, and fear are often products of the unknown.

A root canal is the natural cavity located in the middle of the tooth. Root canal treatments are necessary to avoid infection in the mouth.

The root canal procedure involves removing the nerve and pulp out of the center of the tooth. The pulp is the soft tissue found inside the root canal.

When the nerve and/or pulp are damaged by decay, other dental procedures, a cracked or chipped tooth, or other facial trauma, they can cause infection in the mouth.

Infections may also result in swelling of the face, neck or entire head. There may be loss of bone by the tips of the roots of a tooth or problems with draining.

Without treatment the infection can spread and cause abscesses and other problems in the mouth. An abscess happens when the infection envelopes the roots of a tooth creating a pus-filled pocket.

The root canal procedure repairs the tooth and can save it even if it becomes badly decayed or infected. There are several indications for the need of a root canal.

These include severe tooth pain when chewing, extreme sensitivity to temperatures even after the source of heat or chill has been taken away, or darkening of the tooth. Other indicators are swelling and tenderness around the gums and persistent pimples on the gums.

By making regular visits to the dentist they will also be able to detect if there is a problem within a tooth before it is too painful. The sooner a root canal is detected and treated, the more pain can be avoided.

There are several steps that a dentist will follow with a patient when they enter for a root canal procedure. The first thing that the dentist will do is take an x-ray.

The x-ray will show the shape of the root canal and if there is an infection in the tooth. Technically anesthesia is not needed if the nerve is already dead and decaying.

However, a root canal can be a very stressful process for some patients and anesthesia may be administered anyway to make them feel more at ease. If the nerve is not dead anesthesia will be administered.

Once the anesthesia has taken full effect the dentist will place a rubber dam around the tooth to keep it dry while he or she works on it. Then, the dentist will drill an access hole in the tooth.

The pulp, bacteria, nerve, and anything else in the root canal will be removed through this access hole. Then, the root canal is cleaned out using files, water, and sodium hypochlorite.

The nerve simply functions as an indicator of hot and cold. The tooth can still be healthy and perform daily functions without the nerve.

If there is an infection in the tooth the dentist may choose not to seal the tooth until a later date. Instead, he or she will place medicine in the tooth with a temporary sealing.

Later, they will replace the temporary sealing with a permanent one. However, if there is no infection the dentist may go ahead and put the permanent seal in place.

Root canal procedures do not need to be feared and they can relieve a lot of pain.

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