If you were to take an X-ray and look toward the bottom of one of your teeth, you’d find what’s known as a “root canal.” It’s a chamber inside the tooth where several things converge, including cells, pulp, and, most importantly, nerves.
You’ve probably heard the old saying, “You’re getting on my nerves.” It means you’re irritated by someone. Well, with a tooth, imagine if something messes with the nerves inside of your tooth– it’s probably going to hurt, right? If anything it will bother or annoy you, but left unattended to, it can cause you to exclaim, “Kill me now, I can’t stand this anymore!”
If we could fix a root canal problem on our own, we probably would, but it’s not the kind of thing a layperson can perform on themselves. And it’s not something a well-meaning friend can do, either. For root canals, an experienced dentist is the solution to the problem.
Sometimes teeth become damaged to the point where germs get in, teeth get weakened, and, ultimately, there’s inflammation and/or infection. When this happens, a person typically has a professional dentist perform a “root canal” treatment, which gets rid of the pain as well as protects the gum/mouth from further damage.
Though many people absolutely dread having to get a root canal, it’s simply a must if they want pain relief and to save their tooth from needing to be surgically removed.
During treatment, your dentist removes inflamed/infected pulp. The inside of the tooth gets cleaned out and disinfected. Then, it’s filled and sealed with a rubber-like material. Later on, the tooth is fully restored with a crown or filling for protection.
Root canal procedures are actually painless– the pain associated with the procedure usually stems from the infection in the tooth, FYI. Thankfully, a local anesthetic is utilized to numb the tooth and surrounding area being worked on by the dentist.
Forget much of what you’ve heard about root canals being terrifying– that’s the media embellishing things to make you scared. At Crowley Family Dental, we’ll explain what we’re doing, put you at ease, and take care of business so that you’re “good to go” in a timely and efficient manner. The relief after a root canal is done is well worth having the procedure done.