Your teeth are strong, but poor dental care can cause the protective enamel that encases your teeth to break down. When this happens, your teeth become sensitive and more vulnerable to fractures and cavities. This is when your tooth’s root can become infected. Each tooth has soft tissue that runs through the tooth’s canals. The tissue is made up of nerves and blood vessels, which provide vital nourishment to the tooth. When a cavity or fracture is left untreated, that pulpy, soft tissue becomes infected and causes pain – that’s when to get a root canal.

Good oral hygiene and regular visits to the dentist are key to maintaining the condition of your teeth whether you’ve had a root canal or not. Root canal treatment is additionally known as endodontic treatment. In this process, the contaminated pulp is removed by dealing with the microbe infections as well as filling the canal. Root canal treatment solution primarily starts by drilling or making a hole within the enamel part of the tooth, which can be the best part. Initially inflammed pulp present in your pulp chamber is entered, and then going through the root canal for the elimination of infected tissues as well as remaining pulp tissues ( pulp tester).

This dental procedure is highly recommended because of several reasons. If the nerve tissues and pulp in your tooth are damaged, there is a high chance for bacteria to grow and multiply in the pulp area. This situation can lead to infection as well as formation of abscesses. Abscessed tooth is usually formed when the infection has already scattered up to the ends of your tooth roots. Infection in this area can also seriously lead to swelling that may affect even your neck and face areas. There is also a risk of losing parts of your bone around the root’s tip because of the infection.

The first step of this treatment is the drilling which enables access to the infected pulp. Once the surface is drilled, the dentist removes the infected pulp tissue and further drills the root canal(s). Post the removal of pulp and drilling of root canal, the infected canal is disinfected using different medicinal oils and micro motor. The dentist uses a standard filling material and puts it in the teeth, followed by sealing of the open surface to avoid leakage. As the teeth remains disconnected with blood supply, the dentist, as a measure to protect the teeth, covers it with a crown. The treatment takes a lot of time and the patient has to visit the dentist multiple times before the actual treatment is performed, depending on the circumstances and the damage caused to the teeth.

Swelling around your gums and lips will last for a few hours after the root canal, and lingering swelling can last for a few days. Don’t be alarmed if your tooth is still sensitive. This is normal following a root canal, but talk with your dentist about what to expect during recovery. Avoid chewing hard foods until a permanent crown is put on, and talk with your dentist about long-term care for the afflicted tooth. Root canals have a high success rate, but like all of your teeth, they can be damaged if they are not taken care of properly.