Tooth decay is one of the most common dental ailments we always find in our patients who approach us. Tooth decay is bound to happen due to improper oral hygiene and unhealthy food habits. As a matter of fact, your dentist may also be left with limited options such as root canal treatment, when tooth decay is left untreated for prolonged period. Nevertheless, patients who have been advised to undergo root canal treatment need not fret, as technological advances have made them to be almost painless. Let us see in detail what root canal treatment offers.
What prompts for root canal treatment? Before we go deep into the subject, it is necessary to understand what prompts the dentists to go for root canal treatment. Bacteria that are present in our mouth consume sugar in the food particles that remains in mouth. The acids released by these bacteria leaches the enamel surface slowly and causes cavity in the teeth, which thereby leads to tooth decay.
Any tooth decay in its initial stage can be taken care by cleaning them and filling the cavity with appropriate material. The problem pops up when the unattended tooth decay seriously affects the pulp, located in the centre of the tooth that houses nerves, says a best dentist, Pune. Infection in pulp is usually accompanied with inflammation and also causes severe pain while chewing, talking or moving the jaw muscles.
How it is performed? During a root canal procedure, the infected pulp is removed and the adjacent area is thoroughly cleaned to remove bacteria. The hole that is drilled to reach the pulp is subsequently sealed with a rubbery material called gutta-percha. Once the sealant has dried, the treated tooth is further protected with a crown to get the most natural appearance.
Is it painful? With advances in technology and good anesthetic procedures, the treatment should not pose any sort of problem. But once the effect of anesthesia weans off, it is natural to feel mild pain temporarily, which can be easily tackled with proper post care treatment and pain killers prescribed by your dentist.
How long it takes for recovery? Before providing root canal treatment in Pune at our clinic, we educate our patients about the necessity of post care treatment procedures, so as to achieve smooth recovery and quick healing. Hence, the recovery period depends on how well the patient complies with the prescribed post care treatment. With proper medication and rest, the patient should be in a position to indulge in normal activities in a span of couple of days.
Benefits of root canal treatment: There are umpteen reasons to choose root canal treatment and we have presented the salient ones:
• Treat and save even a completely decayed tooth.
• Renders the natural ability to chew with balanced force
• Achieve natural looking smile
• Restricts the damage of adjacent teeth.
Is there any other way around? We often encounter with questions from our patients seeking alternate options for root canal treatment such as extraction. Although extraction seems to be another option, it is not recommended for host of reasons:
• Why to lose original tooth when it can be saved?
• Any extraction of tooth needs to be complemented with costly restoration procedure.
• Prosthetic teeth fitting through dentures necessitate grinding of adjacent healthy teeth.
• Finally, no prosthetic tooth can match the performance of original tooth
We have been repeatedly educating our patients to indulge in routine dental check up of atleast twice in a year, so that any symptoms of tooth decay can be picked up at its initial stage and appropriate treatment can be provided. If you have not undergone any sort of dental check up during the last six months, it is high time to do so. Without any further delay, schedule an appointment with our dental hospital, Punestyle=”color:#0C95F3;” to get your dental health evaluated and achieve good oral health care.
Dr. Nitin Oswal
Latest posts by Dr. Nitin Oswal (see all)
- 5 Things to be taken care of after the root canal treatment - July 16, 2023
- 6 Effective Ways to Prevent Tooth Decay for Kids with Pediatric Dentistry - July 10, 2023
- Frequently Asked questions: After braces! - June 26, 2023