How a Root Canal Can Help Relieve Pain

A tooth that is infected or badly decayed can cause you a lot of pain. This is aside from the oral health dangers that come with it. The only way of easing this pain, short of extracting the tooth, is to perform root canal therapy.

Basically, our dentist, Dr. Mark Artzer in Newport News, VA, performs a root canal to repair and save the tooth by removing the tooth pulp. But how exactly can a root canal treatment alleviate pain? Here is an overview of the procedure.

The Root Canal Procedure

The root canal therapy procedure is usually completed in one to two sessions depending on the actual condition of the affected tooth. The procedure itself could be divided into three simple steps:

• Cleaning: It is important that the infected and decayed pulp be cleaned out to prevent further infection. Your dentist will remove anything that’s inside the infected root canal by putting you under local anesthesia. Cleaning requires making a tiny hole on the tooth surface. This is where the dead pulp tissues are removed from the tooth.
• Filling: Once the dead pulp tissues have been completely cleaned off, the root canal cannot be left empty. The hollow area will be cleaned, shaped, and decontaminated with the use of an irrigation solution and filled with protective material will then be used to fill the tooth. Adhesive cement will help to completely seal off the canals to prevent bacteria from re-infecting it.

Once the root canal therapy has been completed, you’ll feel no pain from the tooth because it no longer has any nerve tissues left. Elimination of the infection not only eases your pain, but likewise controls it completely.

• Crowning: Although completely sealed, the saved tooth is now more vulnerable. To protect the saved tooth, a crown will be installed by your dentist in Newport News, VA, as protection. The crown will restore the functionality of the tooth, allowing you to bite and chew as before.

The treatment can be completed in a single session. The only exception is if there are multi-canals, curved canals, or extensive infections that have to be dealt with. These will add one or more sessions for the completion of the root canal procedure.

To Learn If You Can Benefit From Root Canal Therapy, Call Us

Book an evaluation with your dentist Dr. Mark Artzer in Newport News, VA, by calling (757) 595-8405.