What Happens During a Root Canal

Probably the last thing that you want to hear is hey, you need a root canal since it does bring about many different emotions, including worry, anxiety, and unsureness of what to expect. Many are concerned about the pain that they’ll be in, but here we’ll discuss what happens, and concerns you may have.

Root canal therapy is a common treatment for the nerve or pulp of the tooth, and it can happen because of a break or crack, some dental decay, or injury to the tooth, and you may notice that the warning signs are inflamed teeth, affected and infected teeth, ranging from mild to severe, and pain and sensitivity to hot and cold liquids, and even sensitive gums. Usually, the infection and inflammation can get worse, and this leads to bone loss around the root are, swelling within the head, face, and neck, and drainage that extends outward from the tooth root, and it can actually extend to the body, rendering it fatal if not treated.

So to begin, usually, you’ll get a shot of something to numb the area and deaden the nerves. From there, you’ll also get numbing jelly to reduce the sensitivity as well. The first part is to remove the damaged tooth, where the dentist will drill to remove the pulp and nerve. The pulp sits between the hard layer and the dentin, containing nerves, blood vessels, and other connective tissue, and this creates the hard tissues within the mouth as they’re developed. The pulp of the tooth goes from the roots to the crown, but it can be removed once this is matured. Your tooth can survive without the pulp, which is why root canal therapy is good if you have inflammation and infection impacting your oral health.

Many people tend to ask how much it will hurt. It typically puts a lot of stress on you, but the goal of this is to make this as comfy and as pain-free as possible. The local anesthetic that’s used to numb the mouth will make sure that you don’t feel pain during this. Applying the numbing cream as well reduces the discomfort that you feel when the medication is injected. Some patients feel sedated too, and that can help. It does feel a little bit stiff in terms of your jaw, and it can make it sore. You also will have a dental dam placed so that they can access the tooth, and there is a rubber blocked used to make it more comfortable. After the procedure, you may feel some tenderness and a bit of pain within the jaw. You also may need some medication if it’s pretty severe, but that’s usually rare.

Root canals don’t have to be as bad as you think they’ll be, and ultimately, they can help you because you’ll be able to have a healthy and happier body as well. Prevent the infection from getting worse by seeing a dentist right now!