Root Canal
Spokane, WA
We know that the two words above this generate more fear in a lot of people than going to your in-law’s house or enduring a colonoscopy. Nearly all of the commercials about dentistry poke fun at people undergoing root canals. We know it is hard to focus right now - because we are talking about root canals. In fact, you may be sitting there reading in pain right now. You might be in so much pain you can’t even think straight - but you still worry about coming to see us.
If this sounds like you, you need to know that we can help. A lot. You also need to know that if you come in to see us, you may find out that root canals can lessen your pain rather than adding to your pain. Sound too good to be true? Keep reading, and let Dynamic Dental Care talk to you about how we can help you feel better through a root canal procedure.
What Is a Root Canal?
Root canals are a terrible name for a procedure, but if we can explain, you’ll see the explanation isn’t so bad. We call the procedure a root canal, because it involves the inside of your tooth, including the root. If you think about what your tooth looks like, it has a hard shell on the outside, which is your dentin and your tooth enamel. The shell protects the soft inner contents of your tooth, which has the blood supply for your tooth, as well as your tooths’ nerves.
Your teeth are under a constant attack from bacteria. If you brush and floss, you can reduce the amount of bacteria in your mouth. However, if you don’t have good luck - or good oral hygiene - the bacteria bore a hole in your tooth. The hole that a bacteria causes can be stopped and fixed, but it can also grow over time, and the hole will eventually reach your tooth pulp. When the cavity reaches the pulp and hits the nerve, which will cause you pain. At that point, the infection is endangering your tooth. When we perform a root canal, we are working to save your infected tooth, because if we can’t save it, we’ll have to remove it.
What Is The Procedure for a Root Canal?
People equate root canals with pain, and in the past, that was definitely true. In the past, we didn’t know as much about the mouth and teeth as we do now. We are also better at managing the pain of our patients. Thanks to technology, we also have new tools that are able to reduce pain by making smaller incisions in your tooth, which speeds up healing as well.
Root canals begin by us numbing the tooth and the area around the top of your tooth - it’s called the crown. When your tooth is numb, we then make a cut into your tooth to get closer to the infection. We use tools to clean out all of the infection, and then we treat your tooth with antibiotics to make sure it heals properly. Once we know the tooth is clear of infection, we fill it with a material called gutta percha and top it with a composite filling and sometimes additional antibiotics. Then we usually place a crown on top of your tooth for more protection. Usually, once the root canal is done, the patient’s pain level decreases, but don’t worry. We will help you manage your pain effectively.
If you are suffering from pain due to an infected tooth, you don’t have to suffer anymore. Give Dynamic Dental Care a call at (509) 466-2587. |
