Have you ever heard the expression, "more painful than a root canal?" As in: "that family reunion was more painful than a root canal?" Of course you have! It's the reason you felt that atavistic urge to run screaming from the examination room when the dentist in Silver Spring Maryland mentioned you needed one! Root canal therapy has a terrible reputation for being a miserable and painful procedure for patients to go through. Actually, says the dentist in Silver Spring Maryland, root canals, or endodontic therapy, are quite misunderstood.
If patients really understood that root canal therapy could save a tooth from getting flushed down the porcelain express and that, with the aid of anesthesia and sedative medications it rarely causes any pain and discomfort, there wouldn't be so much anxiety and fear surrounding the procedure. This is exactly what we resolve to do here today, says the dentist in Silver Spring Maryland. In this article and its sequel, we shall answer six of your frequently asked questions about root canal therapy and hopefully dispel many of its surrounding myths!
FAQ: What is a root canal?
Answer: A 'root canal' has become the common term used for a procedure designed to sterilize the insides of a damage or decayed tooth that would otherwise require extraction. Its name is derived from the part of the tooth anatomy involved in the procedure, explains the dentist in Silver Spring Maryland. The root canal is actually the tiny space in the roots of the teeth where the blood vessels and nerves that connect your tooth to your jaw.
FAQ: What does endodontic therapy involve?
Answer: Endo means 'inside' and dont refers to 'tooth,' explains the dentist in Silver Spring Maryland. The procedure involves the following steps:
FAQ: Be honest doc, does root canal therapy hurt?
Answer: This is a controversial question because no dentist in Silver Spring Maryland finds it easy to tell their patient that the procedure they have recommended will be uncomfortable for them in any way. But think about it: often, a tooth that needs a root canal is already extremely painful. The anesthetic administered just prior to treatment renders the procedure pain-free. Once the infection has been eliminated, patients are typically in a lot less pain, although they may need to take some standard over-the-counter headache painkillers in the day or two following their appointment.
Remember, says the dentist in Silver Spring Maryland, a timely root canal procedure can actually save damaged and decayed teeth, so it's always worth it!
Stay Tuned For More!
To read the next three FAQ and the answers provided by the dentist in Silver Spring Maryland, stay tuned for the second installment of this article series.
If patients really understood that root canal therapy could save a tooth from getting flushed down the porcelain express and that, with the aid of anesthesia and sedative medications it rarely causes any pain and discomfort, there wouldn't be so much anxiety and fear surrounding the procedure. This is exactly what we resolve to do here today, says the dentist in Silver Spring Maryland. In this article and its sequel, we shall answer six of your frequently asked questions about root canal therapy and hopefully dispel many of its surrounding myths!FAQ: What is a root canal?
Answer: A 'root canal' has become the common term used for a procedure designed to sterilize the insides of a damage or decayed tooth that would otherwise require extraction. Its name is derived from the part of the tooth anatomy involved in the procedure, explains the dentist in Silver Spring Maryland. The root canal is actually the tiny space in the roots of the teeth where the blood vessels and nerves that connect your tooth to your jaw.
FAQ: What does endodontic therapy involve?
Answer: Endo means 'inside' and dont refers to 'tooth,' explains the dentist in Silver Spring Maryland. The procedure involves the following steps:
- The tooth and gum are completely numbed using a local anesthetic.
- The dentist in Silver Spring Maryland will remove any damaged and/or decayed tooth structure.
- The dentist in Silver Spring Maryland uses very precise tools to remove all the infected nerves and blood vessels from inside the inner chamber and roots.
- Once the dentist in Silver Spring Maryland is 100% satisfied that the tooth has been rigorously sterilized, he or she will fill the root with a special rubbery filling.
- The dentist in Silver Spring Maryland will then rebuild the tooth with an internal filling topped with a ceramic crown. This is generally done at a separate appointment.
- You will be sent home with strict post-procedural instructions for the care of your restored tooth and a follow-up appointment scheduled.
- See image below for procedure sequence.
FAQ: Be honest doc, does root canal therapy hurt?
Answer: This is a controversial question because no dentist in Silver Spring Maryland finds it easy to tell their patient that the procedure they have recommended will be uncomfortable for them in any way. But think about it: often, a tooth that needs a root canal is already extremely painful. The anesthetic administered just prior to treatment renders the procedure pain-free. Once the infection has been eliminated, patients are typically in a lot less pain, although they may need to take some standard over-the-counter headache painkillers in the day or two following their appointment.
Remember, says the dentist in Silver Spring Maryland, a timely root canal procedure can actually save damaged and decayed teeth, so it's always worth it!
Stay Tuned For More!
To read the next three FAQ and the answers provided by the dentist in Silver Spring Maryland, stay tuned for the second installment of this article series.
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