What Is a Root Canal and Why You Shouldn’t Fear Them
Being told that you need a root canal could have you feeling nervous, but you don’t need to worry about this dental procedure. Knowing more about root canals can help you understand what to expect, which can help ease your anxiety. Keep the following in mind if you need this type of procedure.
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What Are Root Canals?
A root canal is a common dental procedure. Root canals involve removing diseased or damaged pulp from inside a tooth. This helps relieve pain and restores the affected tooth to its normal function. Your tooth contains soft tissue called pulp that was used to help your tooth root grow when it first developed. This tissue can become damaged, infected or diseased over time, resulting in pain and other problems. Since your tooth doesn’t need the pulp to stay healthy, dentists can remove this tissue.
Benefits of Root Canals
Having a root canal done helps ease pain in the affected tooth, so that you can chew and talk normally. If you have other problems, such as increased sensitivity to hot or cold sensations, a root canal helps relieve these symptoms as well. Root canals can make diseased or damaged teeth healthy again, which helps lower the risk of putting too much strain or wear and tear on the teeth near it. This dental procedure also helps save your tooth, so that you don’t need to have it extracted later.
Reasons for Root Canals
Why might a dentist in Phoenix recommend a root canal? You might need this procedure if you have a tooth that is cracked or a tooth with severe decay. Root canals are also done when you have damaged fillings in your teeth. Your dentist might also recommend this procedure if you have a tooth that is highly sensitive to heat or cold or a tooth with an infected nerve. Without treatment, serious complications can develop, such as the risk of having an infection spread.
What to Expect During a Root Canal
When you go in for a root canal, your dentist will use local anesthesia to numb the area. You won’t feel anything while you’re having this procedure done. The amount of time your procedure takes will depend on certain factors, such as the type of tooth being treated. When you go to a dentist in Mesa for a root canal, this procedure starts with drilling to get rid of decayed or damaged pulp. Your tooth is then cleaned and filled with resin. If you’re feeling nervous or additional discomfort, dental sedation may be used to help make you more comfortable.
What to Expect After a Root Canal
Since only local anesthesia is used, not general anesthesia, you will most likely be able to go back to your normal activities right after your procedure. Keep in mind that it might take a few hours for the numbness from the anesthesia to wear off, so you might not be able to eat at first. You should follow your dentist’s instructions for caring for your tooth after a root canal. If you’re need dental sedation beyond nitrous oxide, you will need more recovery time and someone to drive you home.
Concerns About Root Canals
Root canals used to be thought of as highly painful procedures that some patients dreaded and were afraid of. However, advancements in the way dentists do these procedures has made them much easier for patients to handle. When you have a root canal done, your tooth and the area around it will be numb. Afterwards, you might have some mild soreness that lasts for a few days. This discomfort shouldn’t cause any severe pain for you, though. Having a root canal is similar to having other dental procedures done, such as getting a filling for a cavity.
Managing Root Canal Fears
While it’s understandable to be nervous about root canals due to misconceptions about them, it helps to maintain a healthy perspective. Keep in mind that root canals aren’t lengthy procedures that put you in a lot of pain. If you do have soreness after your procedure, you can use over-the-counter pain relievers to ease discomfort. Remember that a root canal helps make your tooth healthy again, so that you don’t need to have it removed. Procedures that involve removing a tooth are more complex than root canals overall.
Conclusion
You don’t have to be afraid of your next dental procedure or appointment, whether it’s a root canal or a basic cleaning. Look for a dentist that understands your fears and will help you overcome them. At Dental Brothers, we’re here to help you have the best dental health possible with the least amount of worry.
