What is Root Canal Treatment?

A root canal treatment or endodontic treatment is required when there might be an infection deep inside your tooth. There could be many reasons for this to happen – a severe cavity is one such reason. Or the nerve coming to the tooth may be impacted due to an injury. etc.

In the early stages of an infection inside the tooth, there are instances wherein there may be a pain and others where there is no pain in the beginning.

One telltale sign to look for is a tooth that might be changing colour.

If this happens, then you know that this tooth if left untreated could be soon a source of acute discomfort. In addition, there could be a serious risk that you could lose this tooth.

How do you know if you might need a root canal treatment?

• Do you have toothache when eating, but there isn’t more than a discomfort when you are not biting or chewing on something?
• Is there pain on pressure, does the pain radiate, is there pain when to eat or drink anything hot?
• Does the pain wake you up from sleep at night? Or
• Does the pain increase when you lie down?
• Are your teeth extremely sensitive? And does this persist after you have finished the cold or hot beverage?
• Has a tooth in your mouth darkened in colour?
• Are your gums tender or swollen close to the tooth that has this discomfort or pain?

What is a root canal?

The tooth consists of two parts. The part above the gumline is called the crown. The part of your tooth below the gumline and invisible to the naked eye is the root of your tooth, that fixes your teeth to your jaw.

There is a network of canals that run in the roots of the tooth. These canals carry the nerve and blood supply to the tooth from the bone and its called the dental pulp. The dental pulp is the material that nourishes the tooth. It is also responsible for the reaction that the tooth has to hot and cold food or beverages.

When an infection manages to travel to this central area inside the tooth, then this pulp becomes inflamed. It is this inflammation of the dental pulp that brings about the extreme reaction to hot and cold from the tooth.

It is important to bear in mind that if left untreated, then a bacterial infection could cause this pulp to die, and along with that could come tooth loss.

Can a root canal infection be treated?

Yes. A root canal infection can certainly be treated.

Root canal treatment involves 2 stages:

The first step is the removal of all of the infection from the tooth.

The second step is filling the canals and sealing all the spaces in the tooth.

This treatment has the objective of protecting the damaged nerve, and in the process, protecting your tooth.

Root canal treatment can be performed without the patient needing to feel any pain. This is achieved through the application of an anesthesia to numb the tooth before any treatment takes place. At Orion Dental in addition to anesthesia delivered by needles, we also have available Nitrous Oxide or laughing gas for conscious sedation. Our goal is to keep you comfortable and stress-free throughout the root canal treatment procedure.

The Root Canal Procedure

At Orion Dental we begin the process of a root canal treatment by first taking an x-ray to assess the place and stage of infection.

Thereafter a local anesthesia is administered to the area and a rubber dam is placed around the tooth to keep it dry through the endodontic treatment process.

Your dentist will then check if you are fully anesthetized and once that is achieved, then your dentist will open the root canal using specialized instruments and remove the infected tissue. Once it the tooth is clear of the infection, then the root canal area is filled with a special root canal filling material.

The tooth is then capped with a temporary filling. A permanent crown is then prepared to fit the tooth that the root canal treatment was performed on. This is put into place on your next visit to the dental office.

Can an endodontic infection be avoided?

A root canal infection may be avoided by practicing good oral hygiene, and by being regular in your visits to your dentist

Regular hygiene care and visits to the dental office will allow your dentist to spot any infections or changes in your mouth at an early stage. Doing this can help you get treatment before any infection has the chance to spread and complications arise, that lead to a root canal treatment or a loss of your tooth.

If you are looking for a Dentist for a root canal treatment call our office to set up a consultation with one of our experienced dentists at Orion Dental Milton: 905-636-9770 or Orion Dental Scarborough: 416-291-0306