According to the Canadian Dental Association, you will require root canal surgery when your tooth pulp suffers inflammation and infections. Globally, about fifteen million teeth undergo root canal treatment. Therefore, there is nothing to worry about if you have an experienced endodontist to help you.
Your teeth’ dental pulp is in the root canal, which extends from the top to the bottom of the tooth. Hence, if there are any infections in the pulp, it affects the whole tooth. Many factors can cause inflammation and conditions in the pulp, including teeth cracks, untreated cavities, etc.
The rest of this guide provides every information you need on what root canal surgery is and the procedure. Keep reading if you are planning one soon.
What Is Root Canal Surgery?
Root canal surgery is an endodontic treatment that treats inside a tooth to save it from removal. The pulp is the part of the tooth focused on during the root canal treatment.
The root canal’s purpose is simple — removing the infected pulp and filling the tooth.
Each tooth’s pulp has nerves and blood vessels responsible for teeth development by providing the hard tissues. If the pulp gets infected, it’s only a matter of time before you start feeling pains in your teeth. Some common causes of a pulp infection include;
- Tooth decay due to cavity growth or multiple treatments.
- Tooth injuries
- Visible tooth cracks
Related Article: How Do You Know You Need a Root Canal?
What Are the Symptoms Necessitating a Root Canal Surgery?
It is vital to know when to get root canal surgery. First, not every pain in your tooth requires root canal surgery. Tooth pain can come from decay, injuries, and many other causes.
The best way to know when you need root canal surgery is to visit your dentist. However, since we are only guilty of visiting when the tooth pains start, here are some symptoms indicating you may need a root canal treatment;
- Pain. These pains may only affect your gum; in some cases, you wouldn’t even feel it until you are biting or chewing. Toothache is the primary sign of tooth problems. Therefore, you shouldn’t conclude with only this symptom as an indicator.
- Tooth looseness. This symptom occurs when you feel like your tooth is empty and can pull out.
- Changes on your gums. When there are infections in your pulp, your gum may swell initially. Later on, it may have a darker shade, or you may feel pimples growing on it. At this stage, you should visit your dentist quickly.
- Increased teeth sensitivity. Pulp infections increase your tooth’s reaction to either hot or cold food items and water. In extreme cases, your tooth may be sensitive to hot and cold weather changes.
Some symptoms are early signs, which may die down as the infection progresses. However, it doesn’t mean your tooth doesn’t need attention. Instead, the symptoms will be more apparent and hurtful, so it’s better to visit a dentist when you notice tooth discomfort.
What Is the Process of a Root Canal Treatment?
Many untrue myths and facts about root canal treatments give it a bad definition.
Many believe it is a painful surgery, causing them to ask, “do I need root canal surgery” multiple times until the pains worsen.
Rumours even spread that root cancer surgery causes cancer, but thankfully, the Canadian Cancer Society debunked such rumours.
Root canal surgeries are simple, and it is the same procedure globally. However, here are the steps to a root canal surgery in Ontario;
1. Examinations and confirmation
The first thing any endodontist will do is to check and confirm the extent of the pulp infection in your tooth. After asking you a few questions about the symptoms, the expert will scrutinize the tooth.
After the physical examination, the doctor will conduct a tooth X-ray. The X-ray results will determine the best procedure for root canal surgery.
2. Anesthesia administration and preparation
You will find this interesting if you have thought a root canal treatment was painful. Before doing anything on your tooth, the endodontist will first apply anesthesia to your tooth, making you unable to feel pain in that location.
Anesthesia administration is usually an injection, which you may consider as painful. However, the dentist already administers an initial medication to reduce the pain of the injection. Therefore, at best, you will only feel a little pinch.
With the anesthesia in full action, you can’t feel any pain in that tooth and its surroundings. The dentist then prepares for the root canal surgery by installing a rubber sheet around the tooth.
The purpose of the rubber sheet is to ensure dryness throughout the surgery by keeping saliva away.
3. Opening the tooth and cleaning
This step is the primary process of root canal treatment. The dentist will open a part of the affected tooth to access the pulp easily.
Once they can access the pulp, they use tiny files to clean and remove every form of infection around the pulp area. While cleaning the pulp, the small files simultaneously add a bit of shape to the space.
After cleaning, the endodontist will use water to clear the area of any debris or remnants from the tooth.
4. Treatment, temporary and final filling
Some bacteria and infections may not always be visible or easy to clean with a file. Hence, a seasoned dentist will treat the cleaned area with antibiotics to prevent any reoccurrence and ensure complete treatment.
After, they will fill the cleaned area with a gutta-percha. This material feels like rubber and helps cover the root canal area.
The dentist will add a temporary cover to the opening used to access the pulp to prevent further bacteria and infections. This filling is temporary primarily to allow the tooth to heal and receive necessary nourishment now that it is without a pulp.
In rare cases, the endodontist may add a permanent cover to the tooth, mainly when minimal damages and infections occur.
What to Do After Root Canal Surgery
After a root canal surgery, you may not feel any pain, depending on the longevity of the anesthesia. However, once the anesthesia effect dies, you may feel slight pains and discomfort around the tooth. No need to worry; these are typical root canal side effects.
Here are some essential things to do and not do after a root canal treatment;
- Do not eat with the affected tooth.
- Brush and clean your teeth regularly.
- Visit the dentist regularly.
Related Article: How Long Does a Root Canal Treatment Take?
Final Take
A root canal surgery can be a long process, as described above, but not painful. However, it will save you from eradicating your tooth because of pain. All you have to do is to prepare adequately before the treatment.
The best preparation method for a root canal treatment is to visit a good endodontist for the surgery. At Osmin Denture, we understand the nitty-gritty of root canal surgery and have years of experience performing this surgery.
Call 647-294-3310 to discuss safe root canal surgery treatments.
