Many people struggle with oral health issues. However, besides cavities, you can develop a tooth infection or a tooth abscess. If your tooth hurts, and you think you may have a tooth infection, keep reading to learn about the root canal procedure used to treat infected teeth.
Who Needs a Root Canal Procedure?
The root canal procedure is commonly used on people who have severe decay. When decay reaches the tooth's pulp, the living tissue becomes infected with bacteria. Symptoms of a tooth infection include:
- Pain that may radiate to other parts of the face, neck, head, and ear
- Sensitivity to pressure
- Visible pus
- Bad breath from the infection
- Unpleasant bitter taste, especially if the abscess bursts
If trauma caused the tooth to die, the dentist may recommend a root canal procedure to prevent an infection. In rare cases, some dental procedures increase your risk of a tooth infection, such as dental crowns. If the dentist removes tooth much tooth tissue, it may expose the living tissue to bacteria.
What Can You Expect During Treatment?
Depending on your situation and pain level, the doctor may prescribe antibiotics and/or pain medication to help cope with the pain. During the root canal procedure, the dentist opens the tooth and removes any infection and dead tissue, including the tiny roots of the teeth. The dentist uses thin files to fully clean out the roots.
The dentist fills the tooth, often with a big filling, and closes the tooth. In most cases, dentists recommend getting a dental crown after root canal treatment to re-strengthen the tooth and reduce the risk of future complications.
How Long Does Treatment Take?
A root canal procedure is a relatively long procedure, and most dentists prefer to break it up into two visits. In the first visit, they open the tooth and remove the tissue/infection. They will then probably send you home to complete your antibiotics. By the time you return to your next visit to close the tooth, the infection should be dead.
Are There Alternative Treatments?
Treating the infection with only antibiotics is usually ineffective and the infection usually returns. For this reason, the only way to really treat a tooth infection is to get rid of all the living/dead/infected tissue. Besides the root canal procedure, the only other way to fully remove the tissue is extraction.
Root canal procedures are incredibly common, but they can seem scary. With a root canal procedure, your dentist can save your tooth and prevent future complications. If you would like to know more, contact a dental service such as Cooper Family Dentistry.
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