When it comes to dental processes and procedures there are many options to choose from. One of the more common of these is known as a root canal. Even though they are very common and widely used, there are still some common questions people have when they are told they may need to have one done.
Are root canals healthy? They are an important dental procedure that will help protect the health and integrity of your teeth and gums and jaw and keep you healthy.
Are root canals normal? The procedure has been done for decades and has continued to be improved and perfected to become a normal and fairly routine procedure.
Are root canals painful afterwards? It is a fairly involved and invasive procedure so there will be pain as things heal, but your dental team will help you manage your recovery.
Are root canals permanent? No dental procedure is truly permanent and a root canal will need to be checked and at times additional work might be necessary.
To learn more about root canals, contact your local dental care team today.
At least 20% of all Americans have untreated cavities. Many American adults have periodontal disease. At least 47.2% of people over 30 have it. For many people, dental problems are upsetting because they are afraid of dentists. That is one reason so many people have cavities that are going untreated. Either they know about the and are not having them treated but more likely, they have not seen a dentist for their check ups and do not know they have the cavities at all.
One complication that comes from not treating a cavity is that it grows bigger and ends up impacting the root. When that happens dentists have to perform the dreaded root canal. They are not as bas as people fear but people are scared of them. There are things you can do to make the process easier.
If your family dentist has given you medications to take before the treatment, take them.
Many people are given antibiotics before any dental treatment. When a root canal is needed, often the root itself is already infected. In these cases, dentists prescribe antibiotics before the procedure. These should be started at least one to two days before you have the root canal.
Sometimes dentists will prescribe pain medications to take before they start the procedure. If yours does this, there is is a reason. If you have questions about that, ask the question but do not just skip taking them. You may regret that.
Take anti-inflammatories for swelling and pain.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) such as ibuprofen (Advil) and naproxen sodium (Aleve) can be very helpful. There will be swelling of the tissue around the impacted tooth and bone due first to the infection and then because of the root canal therapy you have undergone. This inflammation can cause pain and discomfort. NSAIDs are great at combating pain and swelling.
Be patient with your tooth.
It may take some time for your tooth and gums to calm down after infection you had the procedure you underwent. One way to help that process around is to carefully and gently clean the gums around the tooth and the tooth. Some people experience ghost or phantom pain in the tooth after the nerve has been removed. That will go away over time. Everyone takes their own amount of time to recover from any procedure.
If you find you are grinding your teeth after your root canal, even if you did not do that before, you may want to look into getting a mouth guard to stop that. Because the area around the tooth may be very tender after the root canal, you may find you experience some pain at night when and if you bite down. Be careful about what you eat for at least a few days after the procedure.
Tough, crunchy and hard foods should be avoided for at least a few days. Be careful with what you eat, not just because it may hurt or be uncomfortable but that tooth is much more brittle after the root canal and is easier to break. From the time you have the root canal until the permanent crown is put in, your tooth should be treated as very fragile. Patients have broken their treated teeth by chewing on something too hard and then that tooth has had to be pulled. The dental implant cost has come down but you can avoid needing that by being careful.
Good foods to try are softer foods that are neither super hot nor super cold. You probably should try to chew on the opposite side of your mouth for the first few days. Watch the level of sensitivity, dentists can make adjustments that will impact the traumatic biting pressure.
Staying with softer foods and chewing on the opposite side are helpful suggestions to reduce pain after root canal treatment. If the tooth does not become less sensitive after a few days, additional adjustment of the traumatic biting pressure may be needed by your dentist.
Get your crown on.
The last phase of this is the permanent crown. This is painless and the easiest part of the process.
Root canals are not horrible. Follow these tips and your experience may change your mind about them.
