Root Canals – What Are Root Canals and Why Are They Necessary?

Root Canals – What Are Root Canals and Why Are They Necessary?

Root Canals

Root Canals are a routine procedure that can save teeth when they are infected and damaged by deep decay or injury. They are also a great way to relieve pain that comes with deep tooth decay and infection.

At the center of each tooth is a hollow area that houses soft tissue, including nerves and blood vessels. When a tooth is injured or infected, the pulp can become inflamed and die. This is called pulpitis and can be either reversible or irreversible.

When this happens, it’s best to remove the infected pulp from the tooth before it kills the nerve or spreads into surrounding tissues, which can cause a serious abscess and damage your bone structure. A root canal treatment removes the infected pulp and seals the affected areas to stop them from spreading.

A tooth’s roots resemble a series of tubes that extend into the jawbone and connect to the rest of the teeth. They are surrounded by a hard, outer layer of enamel that helps protect the internal parts of your teeth.

It’s rare to have the inner tissues of a tooth die naturally. Even if you have a severely damaged or infected tooth, your root canal will remove the dead or diseased pulp from the center of the tooth so that it can’t be re-infected.

In fact, the most common risk associated with a root canal is that the inside of the tooth will break down and rot because the outer layers of your tooth have been scraped away. This can cause your tooth to shift, which could lead to misalignment or orthodontic problems, like shifting or changing bites.

If a tooth is too badly decayed to have a root canal or it’s difficult to keep the tooth healthy after root canal treatment, your dentist may recommend extraction of the tooth. In this case, you might be able to replace the missing tooth with an implant or a dental bridge. For more information and free consultation of a root canal specialist, visit https://www.thesarasotadentist.net/root-canals/.

Can I Smoke After a Root Canal?

You should never smoke after a root canal, as it interferes with healing and increases the chances of needing more dental work in the future. A local anesthetic should be used for the procedure, and you should be able to resume normal activities a day or two after your root canal.

Symptoms of Tooth Infection or Damage A chronic toothache that just won’t go away is usually caused by infection or damage to the root canal system. This can happen from a large cavity, a deep filling, trauma to the tooth such as a sports related injury or a crack in the tooth that allows bacteria to get into the pulp of the tooth.

The Infection Within Your Tooth This is the most obvious sign that a tooth needs a root canal. The infected pulp is inflamed and causes pain and swelling.

A root canal removes the infected tissue from your tooth, disinfects it, cleans and seals it. You’ll likely be given antibiotics to prevent the infection from recurring.