A root canal is one of the most feared dental procedures. If you need one, it’s essential to consult an experienced dentist who can assure you there is nothing to be afraid of. This dental procedure can help save your natural tooth and prevent extraction. It can also help relieve pain, eliminate infections, and restore your smile. If you are considering a root canal, please don’t hesitate to schedule an appointment with our root canal procedures/dentists located in Basking Ridge & Morristown, NJ, who have decades of experience assisting patients with their dental problems.
What is Root Canal Treatment?
A root canal, also known as endodontic treatment, is a dental procedure that repairs and salvages a badly damaged or infected tooth instead of removing it. It can save a tooth that would otherwise need to be extracted. This treatment is designed to remove inflamed or infected pulp from the inside of the tooth, relieve pain, and protect the tooth from future infections. If diseased pulp is left untreated, it can cause immense pain or lead to an abscess.
This dental procedure has three steps and takes one to three sessions. First, the dentist removes the diseased and dead pulp, and then the inside of the tooth is carefully cleaned and disinfected. Next, the tooth is filled with a rubber-like material, using an adhesive cement to seal the canals completely. It’s important to note that after root canal treatment, the tooth is dead. You will no longer feel pain in that tooth because the nerve tissue has been removed, and the infection has been eliminated.
Although you may not experience pain, the tooth will be more fragile than it was before. A tooth without pulp must derive its nourishment from the ligament attaching it to the bone. While this can help, the tooth may become more brittle over time, requiring a crown or filling for additional protection.
After this dental procedure, you should not chew or bite on the tooth until the crown or filling is complete. Once there is a crown or filling, you can resume the tooth’s full function as before. In most cases, treatment will only take one appointment. However, if there are curved canals, multi-canal, or significant infections, it could take two or three additional appointments to complete. During the procedure, local anesthesia will relieve pain by numbing the tooth and surrounding area. Following the procedure, experiencing tenderness in the affected areas is expected.
How Painful is the Procedure?
One of the biggest fears about this type of dental procedure is that it will be painful. A root canal is a relatively painless procedure. The pain that is felt comes from the infection. The treatment will not cause pain; it’s intended to alleviate it. As mentioned above, once a root canal is performed, the tooth is dead, and you will no longer feel pain in that tooth because the nerve tissue has been removed and the infection has been eliminated.
At Dental Associates of Basking Ridge, we are prepared to help you maintain your oral health. If you have a dental concern, please don’t hesitate to contact our office today to schedule an appointment.
