Root canal treatment is considered a dental “pleasure.” It is one of the most common dental procedures to relieve pain and salvage your tooth that would otherwise require extraction. This article will provide information about root canal treatment, including when and why it is necessary.
Below we will discuss how our dentist in North Naples recognizes canal inflammation, how it is treated, and what associated complications.
How do I recognize when inflammation has begun? Is the pain different from other types of pain?
“Root canal inflammation,” or “pulpit,” is characterized by acute, spontaneous, persistent pain at rest or from provocations such as cold or hot food. Sometimes, a toothache can also occur when the tooth is touched or gently tapped. Unlike hypersensitivity, the pain lasts much longer than regular sensitivity, which lasts only a few seconds.
At a young age, pulpitis develops more efficiently and with less damage because the pulp (called a “tooth nerve”) is closer to the tooth’s surface. On the other hand, at a young age, patients that experience this same problem have more treatment options.
It’s no secret that endodontic treatment is expensive. How do you know you need it?
A root canal treatment in North Naples can be expensive. But when you feel constant pain, anybody is desperate for a cure. However, there is no definite limit on when endodontic treatment is required. Chronic asymptomatic stages are particularly challenging to diagnose. The physician often sends the patient home to “observe” the tooth and wait for more specific symptoms to avoid irreversible damage to the tooth.
If the patient addresses long-term severe pain caused by hot or cold provocations and we see that the tooth has large seals, caries, or just a “nerve opening,” the need for treatment becomes almost inevitable. Of course, further diagnostic testing will be performed to determine this.
Nerves are killed during root canal treatment. Why is this necessary?
During root canal treatment, the nerves are killed, and all the tissue inside the tooth – the so-called tooth nerve. When inflammation in this tissue reaches an irreversible level, there is no other way to prevent it predictably, just by removing all inflammatory tissue.
There are cases of tooth canals bending. What does their treatment look like?
In such cases, treatment is undoubtedly more complicated. We use thin metal files that twist in the root canal to clean and remove unwanted and harmful debris. Root canal treatment is almost always successful and offers patients an alternative to tooth extraction—which is still a last resort. If you have any concerns regarding the procedure’s efficacy, voice them to your dentist.
Can dental inflammation occur even though that tooth has already been treated?
If the canal has been treated by removing all pulp, there will no longer be “canal inflammation”—pulpitis, because that tissue is gone forever and will not regrow. Unfortunately, the worst-case scenario for some would be developing periodontitis, an inflammation of the tooth ligament resulting from incompletely cleaned canals, or secondary infection.
Although root canal therapy is not a procedure patients “look forward to,” it is still necessary. When you feel constant pain in your tooth or have experienced abnormal symptoms, visit a dentist in North Naples to discuss whether you require this procedure.