When Is a Root Canal Treatment Required? Are there Advantages of Root Canal Therapy?

Many patients who visit us at Clinique Dentaire Dorval wonder whether they need to undergo root canal procedures when our dental experts recommend them. Root canal therapy, unfortunately, features among the most commonly dreaded dental procedures in dentistry, usually due to the anticipation of high pain levels. However, it is not the case in modern dentistry, which you will not know unless you visit a dentist near you for a consultation.

What is Root Canal Therapy?

It is a type of dental procedure in endodontic dentistry performed to treat diseased teeth by removing bacteria and damaged tissues from the inner layers of teeth. Root canal therapy in Dorval, QC, is commonly associated with dental decay since many patients with decayed teeth get them restored through endodontic treatments.

A root canal treatment is very different from an apicoectomy, another endodontic treatment that treats a tooth but from the root. Instead of accessing your tooth through the crown as is typical of root canal processes, an apicoectomy accesses the root tip of the tooth through the gum tissue.

Understanding Root Canal Treatment & Procedures

Root canal the repay is a unique restorative approach in dentistry that concentrates on treating a tooth from the inside out. The endodontist performing your root canal treatment will seek to access the various layers of your tooth to treat it.

The initial step entails drilling the target tooth to gain access to the inner layers. After drilling, the hole becomes the access point for a small hand-held tool to access the insides of your tooth. The next step is to clean your teeth, targeting the root canal. The dentist in Dorval, QC will remove all bacteria and damaged soft tissues from the pulp of your tooth. The process will also entail removing damaged nerve endings, connective tissues, and blood vessels. If you have an abscessed tooth, your dentist will also drain the contents thereof.

Once your teeth are clean enough, your endodontist will reshape the insides of the teeth before initiating the filling process. The filling placed will seal the insides of the tooth, restricting access for bacteria to get into the inner layers of your teeth. If the structure of your tooth, upon completion of your treatment, is weak, your dentist in Dorval, QC may recommend placing a dental crown over it to reinforce its strength.

Will the Procedure Be Painful?

From the steps entailed in a typical root canal procedure, you may experience quite the discomfort during your treatment. Besides, by the time you need a root canal treatment, it means that your tooth is already in pain or you are experiencing some discomfort. However, modern dentistry has it that endodontic procedures are painless thanks to local anesthesia that numbs your mouth before any dental works begin. If you have dental anxiety, your dentist near you will also use sedating medication to keep you calm and relaxed throughout your procedure.

Advantages of Receiving Root Canal Treatment

• Saving a natural tooth – instead of always resulting in a tooth extraction procedure when you have a diseased tooth, you can opt to receive a root canal that will help retain your natural tooth for a much longer period of your life.
• Preventing jaw bone degeneration – one of the major consequences of losing natural teeth is jaw bone degeneration that occurs due to inactivity. Unless you are determined to have your teeth restored with procedures like dental implant surgery, you may gradually lose your bone tissue once you lose your natural teeth. A root canal treatment ensures you retain your natural teeth as well as the solid structure of your jaw bone.
• Ridding your mouth of infections – it is a nasty thing to harbor an infection in your mouth for several months. Eventually, the bacteria in your mouth will result in oral issues like bad breath, toothaches, gum disease, to mention a few. As such, consider a root canal procedure as your ticket to fighting tooth infections.
• Treating tooth pain – one of the major consequences of dental injuries and tooth decay is dental pain. Submissions have severe toothaches that cause other types of pains like headaches, body fatigue, among others. When your endodontist treats the underlying cause of pain, it frees you from over-reliance on pain medication.