Okemos, Lansing, East Lansing MI
When a tooth is decayed beyond the ability for a filling to help, a dentist will likely recommend a root canal.
Those two little words tend to send chills down people’s spines. Root canals have a bad reputation for being long, drawn-out, excruciating procedures. Let’s look today at what a root canal is so that in the event you need one, our Okemos dentist can help settle your mind a bit about the procedure.
What is a root canal?
A root canal is a dental procedure to remove inflamed or infected pulp inside a tooth. The procedure, which usually lasts under an hour, removes bacteria from the infected root canal. Our Lansing dentist who is trained in root canals will clean and disinfect the decayed tooth. This saves the natural tooth, and it’s capped with a crown.
What causes the need for a root canal?
Knowing when a root canal may be required starts with knowing what causes the need for the root canal. It all starts with not properly caring for your teeth. Our dentist near East Lansing, like other dentists, recommends brushing your teeth twice a day, flossing once daily and visiting the dentist for routine checkups and cleanings twice a year.
When someone falls down on that routine, it can cause small dental issues that can lead to big problems.
Cavities are damaged areas on the hard surface of the teeth caused by natural mouth bacteria that feed off what you eat, including sugars that remain on the teeth, or food particles that stay between the teeth if you aren’t regularly brushing and flossing. The bacteria multiply, creating tartar that eventually turns into plaque.
Plaque wears away at the teeth, creating soft spots and holes that, without treatment, grow larger and deeper within the tooth.
When is a root canal required?
When tooth decay is so extensive that it wears through the enamel of the teeth, acid can more effortlessly move through the tissue enamel called dentin. Then, it can move to the deeper part of the tooth known as the tooth pulp. The acid can cause the pulp to become inflamed, leading to infection. When this happens, the infection can spread into the roots of the teeth, causing a pocket of decay called an abscess. This could endanger the bone of the jaw.
A filling, at this point, is no longer able to address the problem, and our Okemos desist will likely recommend a root canal.
Root canals: the process
Dentists first apply an anesthetic to make sure patients remain comfortable throughout the procedure. A latex barrier will be used to keep the tooth clean and dry. A small drill-like tool will create a passageway into the tooth. The tooth will be cleaned and disinfected, and the dentist will remove the pulp and nerve of the tooth. (Adult teeth need neither to function.) This procedure will leave behind a canal where the pulp once was. The canal is cleaned, shaped and possibly enlarged then sealed with a substance called gutta-percha, a non-toxic and mildly antimicrobial, rubber-like material.
A temporary filling will then be placed over the hole, and then the entire natural tooth will be covered with a temporary crown. This allows a patient to eat and speak normally once the anesthesia has worn off, which often takes less than four hours. A custom permanent crown will be fabricated and placed at a brief follow-up appointment or, if it was made ahead of time, on the same day as the root canal procedure. The crown will mimic the appearance, feel, and function of the original tooth.
Root canal in East Lansing and Okemos
Root canals have an unfortunate and largely undeserved reputation, possibly because of horror stories from the past. Fortunately, the dental world has made significant strides in technology, techniques, tools, materials and pharmaceuticals. These advancements have resulted in dentists being able to perform root canals quickly and with practically no pain. Root canals are safe and effective alternatives to tooth extraction.
Tooth decay is best addressed early. If you are beginning to feel pain in a tooth, it’s important that you consult with a dentist as quickly as possible. Call Tenaglia Smiles at (517) 940-8684, or reach us online, and we will be happy to make an appointment for a consultation.