5 Mandatory Precautionary Measures to Observe After A Root Canal Therapy
What Is A Root Canal Therapy?
The most common sign of a tooth infection is the feeling of extreme sensitivity. Severe tooth sensitivity is often caused when harmful oral bacteria invade a tooth and produce acids that erode the enamel, thus weakening the tooth and exposing the inner chamber, such as the nerves, to more damage.
Once your nerves are exposed to varying temperatures of hotness or coldness, you will likely experience an immense amount of pain that can prevent you from doing your normal daily activities with ease. All of a sudden, you begin to dread eating or drinking anything because the thought of inserting something in your mouth disgusts you.
Once you begin to feel any sensitivity to the tooth, you must visit a dentist. To restore your oral health and ease your pain, it is likely that your dentist will recommend you to undergo root canal therapy treatment. Although many people dread undergoing root canal therapy, it is a known treatment procedure that helps keep your natural smile intact.
Generally, root canal therapy is a dental treatment whereby your dentist gets rid of your tooth infection by removing the damaged pulp of your tooth, which eases sensitivity.
Why Do Dentists Recommend Root Canal Treatment?
For many dentists, tooth extraction always serves as the last option for treating severe tooth decay damaged tooth. Therefore, they resort to using other measures that will protect the natural tooth from loss. You see, once a dentist removes a single tooth, the impact can be felt in your entire mouth. As a result, you may begin experiencing:
- A gap in the mouth
- A weakened jawbone
- Teeth shifting
- Difficulties in eating or speaking
- Interference with your facial structure
Generally, the loss of a tooth impacts your oral health and your general health and may lead to extensive loss of teeth in the near future, hence the reason why dentists recommend tooth canals.
How Do You Know if You Are Viable for A Root Canal Treatment?
Some of the symptoms that indicate your need for a root canal treatment include:
- Jaw pain
- Sore teeth
- Nerve pain
- Swollen gums
- Recurrent toothache
- Sensitivity to hot and cold temperature
If you wait for long to treat tooth infection, it can spread to the nearest tissues and impact the nerves around the area. Sometimes, an untreated tooth infection can become a life-threatening matter once the infection spreads to other body parts.
A Step-by-Step Guide of The Root Canal Therapy
Once your dentist has established your viability for a root canal treatment, you will be scheduled for endodontic treatment as soon as possible. Here are some of the processes you may undergo:
- Local anesthesia will be administered to you to calm your nerves and prevent you from experiencing pain.
- Your dentist will place a dental dam to ensure the area under operation is dry and prevent saliva from spreading bacteria to other parts of the mouth.
- An opening to reach the damaged pulp in the root canal is made on the tooth.
- The pulp is removed, and the area gets cleaned, and all bacteria killed.
- The canal is sealed using a dental filling of your choice
The Dos and Don’ts of Root Canal Treatment
After being treated, it is normal to feel some tenderness in the treated area. However, the treatment’s success depends on your ability to observe some precautionary measures recommended by your dentist. Some of which include:
- To contact the endodontist in case of a swelling or an allergic reaction to the medicines given
- To brush and floss the teeth as normal
- To eat warm and soft food substance
- To avoid taking unauthorized antibiotics
- To prevent the consumption of alcoholic and tobacco substances
A root canal treatment can be virtually painless compared to a tooth extraction process. Similarly, it can generate visually pleasing results at a cost-effective price and requires fewer follow-up appointments. Remember, prevention is better than cure, so if you experience any of the listed symptoms, consider scheduling a dental appointment with a practice near you.
The internet is the only tool you need to connect you to a dentist near you at your convenience. For instance, if you reside in Aurora, all you need to do is make a specific search such as “Aurora dentist” or “dentist 80015,” and you’ll receive various dental practices or dentists to choose from.