How Long Does It Take To Do a Root Canal?

Root canals are used to repair and save severely damaged or infected teeth. Your tooth may become infected or suffer from dental carries, thus leading to damage to its tooth structures. The damage exerted on the nerves and pulp of the tooth can cause inflammation which causes severe dental pain and may lead to tooth loss.

In addition, the pulp chamber may get infected with bacteria which may later spread to other areas, such as the face and neck. Therefore, we recommend seeing a family dentist near you soon as you start experiencing symptoms related to oral problems.

When Is a Root Canal Treatment Necessary

Several factors can cause damage to the tooth and gums, forcing you to undergo root canal therapy in Knoxville, IA, to prevent further damage to the tooth and its structures. Below are a few things that may make root canal treatment necessary:

• Severe Tooth decay caused by prolonged treatment for a cavity
• Having multiple dental procedures on the same tooth
• Prolonged tooth sensitivity, especially after taking hot or cold food and drinks
• Sharp dental pain when eating
• Damage to the tooth in the form of a chip or crack
• Mouth injuries from trauma to the face which resulted in damage to the tooth pulp

See a family dentist near you soon as you experience any of the things we listed above. The most common symptom of a damaged pulp is dental pain, swelling, and experiencing heat in your gums. Your dentist will do an examination and take xrays to diagnose what’s causing the symptoms. You may have the symptoms above but not require root canal treatment. Your dentist will therefore be the one to decide if you should undergo a root canal treatment.

Root Canal Treatment: Procedure

An endodontist or regular dentist can do a root canal treatment. Endodontists specialize in diagnosing and treating dental problems that affect a tooth’s dental pulp and nerves. A general dentist may recommend you to an endodontist if you have a dental problem that requires more sophisticated root canal treatment.

Before root canal treatment can commence, your dentist will take an x-ray of your damaged tooth and gums for an in-depth analysis of your tooth’s root canal. The X-ray will provide more information on the shape of the root canals and reveal infections in the surrounding bone.

Although root canal treatment can be done without anesthesia since damaged nerves don’t feel pain, your dentist will still use local anesthesia to ensure you don’t feel any pain during treatment.

We will place a sheet of rubber around the tooth during treatment to keep the surgical site dry and free of saliva during surgery. We will then drill an abscess into the tooth and remove the decayed nerve tissue, pulp, and bacteria. Once done, we will thoroughly clean the root canals to remove all debris and remaining bacteria, thus reducing the chances of reinfections.

Upon completion of the root canal treatment, we will clean and seal the wound. Some dentists may wait a week before closing the wound and place medication inside the tooth to treat infections. In addition, dentists usually recommend a dental crown restoration after root canal treatment to strengthen the damaged tooth, which had been severely weakened by decay or infection.

Recovering From Root Canal Treatment

Your mouth may feel numb a few hours after root canal treatment. You can return to work shortly after the anesthesia wears off, but we recommend resting that whole day. Don’t eat for the first few hours until the numbness is gone.

Patients may experience tissue inflammation and increased teeth sensitivity shortly after a root canal procedure. Recovery will take 1-2 weeks, so ensure you take painkillers and other medications prescribed by your dentist to ease dental pain and discomfort.

Benefits of Root Canal Treatment

There are several benefits to undergoing a root canal near you. Below are a few common examples:

• It prevents oral infections from spreading to adjacent teeth
• Reduces dental pain and other symptoms associated with an infected tooth
• Prevents loss and damage of the jawbone tissue
• Saves an infected tooth from extraction

Conclusion

Root canal therapy has many benefits and is safe when done by a skilled and experienced dentist. The dental procedure will help save and strengthen your infected tooth while alleviating symptoms associated with tooth infection. Visit Knoxville Dental Associates for root canal treatment and other dental restoration procedures.