When tooth decay becomes too deep, it may lead to inflammation or infection in the pulp of your tooth, which may require root canal therapy for its treatment. The Dental clinic Grand Rapids, MI, is there to assist you with any dental health-related issues that you or your child may be suffering from. Tooth decay has been a major problem in children, and 28 percent of children account for about 75 percent of it in Michigan. We are going to address a few things that you may need to know before getting a root canal treatment:
What is a root canal?
Under the hard enamel of your tooth, there is a hollow center that is filled with pulp. That pulp is essentially responsible for the nourishment and development of your tooth, as it contains numerous blood vessels, fine nerves, and connective tissues. Moreover, these are also responsible for the sensation in your tooth.
If that hard enamel is cracked or the pulp is exposed due to tooth decay being left untreated for a long time, forming an abscess, it may cause inflammation and infection, and thus, in such cases, an endodontic treatment known as a root canal is required.
What is the procedure for a root canal?
The process itself involves several steps:
- In the very first step, your dentist will need to make that spot surrounding your affected tooth numb so that you do not have any kind of pain in the process, and they use local anesthesia for that.
- In the next step, they will empty the pulp inside your tooth, which has been infected. This pulp can be removed because a mature tooth does not require it for nourishment anymore, as it can be obtained from the surrounding living tissues.
- Then, the hollow that has been created will be thoroughly cleaned to make sure there are not any infected tissues left inside, and your dentist will shape the pulp chamber in order to prepare for a filling.
- After filling is completed and the root canal is sealed, a temporary crown is placed on top until a permanent crown is available.
- Finally, you will be called by your dentist to finish the tooth restoration with a permanent crown, replacing the temporary one.
Visit a dentist in Grand Rapids!
Some people hesitate to get root canal treatment because they feel the process is significantly painful to bear. Although we agree that root canal treatment can be a little painful for some, with the modern anesthetics and painkillers that a dentist uses, most people find it comfortable.
And the toothache that you may have to bear due to the infection is worse and more painful than the treatment itself. Thus, if you are suffering from toothache, you should visit a dentist right away, as it is the first sign of a possible underlying severe tooth decay issue.
