Dental Crowns and Bridges - What is a Root Canal ...

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Crowns And Bridging - What is a Root Canal

A root canal is a medical procedure that most are familiar with. When someone asks for a root canal on the other hand, most, including dentists, find it to be very absurd to say the least.

Though many may not be aware of this, root canals have existed for several generations. Many, many years ago, ancient civilizations used this procedure to save teeth that otherwise would have been lost. In ancient civilizations kings, queens, pharaohs, and the very rich could afford root canals . The teeth extracted from peasants were sold to aristocrats.

Many years ago, doctors believed that worms were the reason for tooth decay. They also believed that there were many ways to kill the worms, including rinsing the mouth in one’s own urine both day and night. Although this is sick to say the least, this remedy was discarded in 1728, proven to be non effective and replaced by other more suitable treatment. As time passed, doctors proved that the best way to stop the pain was to clean and remove the nerve and pulp of the tooth.

Root canals are a very common procedure these days, as they help to save the tooth by removing the dead or dying pulp. The pulp exists inside of the tooth, and can spread to abscess if it isn’t taken care of. The tissue in the pulp is kept alive by the blood vessels that come from the tip of the root and travel along the root canal into the tooth.

Decay is the main reason for pulp in the tooth dying. Once the decay has reached the pulp, it will keep eating away until the pulp has died. Once it dies, the toxins from the decay will be released into the root tip and make it’s way into the jawbone. If not taken care of properly, the jawbone can become infected, which can lead to death in rare cases.

Root Canal Procedure

To fix this, the dentist may need to perform a root canal. During this procedure, the dentist will usually numb the area and then drill a hole into the tooth on which the procedure is to be performed. Using a range of equipment and tools, the dentist will go down inside of the tooth and scrape away the dead pulp and nerves. This procedure takes a lot of time to perform, but is very effective. Usually, a root canal may take several hours. But currently, this is the only way to save the tooth by stopping the dying pulp. Considering the benefits of this procedure, it may more than worth it as it saves a tooth that may otherwise have been extracted.

Pain After Root Canal

A little discomfort may persist even for a day after root canal but if the pain persists longer or if the discomfort is a trifle too much, then you might want to see your dentist for suggestions on what could be done.