• Ground Floor,114 - Shree Vividh Sarkari Karmachari Society-2, Near Rajnagar chowk, Nana Mava Main Road, Rajkot-360001
  • CLINIC : +91 9558809909
open-navigation
close-navigation
BOOK NOW

Root Canal Treatment

Are you filled with fear and anxiety at the thought of a root canal treatment? Well, who wouldn’t be? This is because root canal treatment has always been perceived as a painful procedure rather than a procedure that relieves pain. How many of us know what a “root canal treatment” really is?
Root Canal is the term used to describe the natural space within the center of the tooth root. The tooth’s nerve lies within this space by decay or trauma may require a Root Canal Treatment.

What is Root Canal Treatment?

The outer portion or crown of a tooth is a three-layered structure namely – Enamel, Dentin & Pulp.
If the tooth decay is limited to the first two layers, it can be corrected with Filling/Restoration. In case the tooth decay reaches the third layer and causes inflammation or infection of the pulp, an RCT or Endodontic Treatment is needed.
Root Canal Treatment (RCT) also is known as Endodontic Treatment is a procedure done when the tooth decay reaches the pulp (innermost layer of the tooth) causing inflammation. It is necessary to save the damaged tooth from extraction. This procedure is done by an Endodontist who is known as Root Canal Specialist. The procedure involves:
  • Removal of inflamed or infected tooth material
  • Cleaning and disinfection
  • Filling and sealing with an inert material
  • Restoration and crown/up
It is a multi-step procedure and may require multiple sittings.

Procedure for Root Canal Treatment?

Dentist will take IOPA (X-Ray) to evaluate the progression on caries and infection and confirm whether you need a Root Canal Treatment or other procedures like filling or tooth removal. Root Canal Treatment is generally carried out under local anaesthesia in 2-3 appointments.
However, single-sitting Root Canal Treatments can also be performed in some cases. It may involve the following steps in RCT.

Symptoms

The need for Root Canal Treatments

The decaying of teeth (cavities), if left untreated, develops further and gradually destroys a significant portion of the tooth before reaching the “pulp” of the tooth. This pulp is a thin and soft tissue present in the tooth canals, predominantly consisting of nerves and blood vessels. If the infection reaches the pulp, it results in what is commonly known as “dental pain”. At this stage, the tooth can only be saved by performing a Root Canal Treatment.

Who needs Root Canal Treatment?

Persistent pain is one if the main indicators that something is wrong with your tooth. Seeing your dentist soon will help you to understand if your nerves are inflamed and whether you need a Root Canal Treatment or something else.
Teeth can get chipped or cracked while eating hard food, while playing sorts or during an accident. A cracked tooth exposes the nerves of a tooth and leads to an infection, necessitating a Root Canal Treatment.
Another common sign that you need a Root Canal Procedure is sensitivity to hot or cold foods. If your tooth aches on consuming hot beverages like tea or coffee, there is a problem. Some even experience sensitivity on eating ice creams or drinking cold water. In such cases, the dentist may conclude that you need a Root Canal Treatment.
If your gums are painful and swollen or have a raised bump on them, your dentist will examine the swollen gums to see if inflammation is to blame. Another common factor is deep decay but no pain because of the nerve of the tooth gets infected or dead. Once deep decay has set in within the tooth, no amount of brushing, flossing, or rinsing with mouth wash will solve the problem. If a cavity has been neglected for long it will spread down into deeper structures and damage the nerve. In such a scenario, a root canal is likely the only option for repair.

Root Canal Treatment - Benefits

Alternative to a Root Canal

Saving natural teeth is the best option to get rid of pain and infection of the tooth. Natural teeth allow you to eat a wide variety of foods providing the necessary nutrition needed for a healthy body.
Taking medicine will help only for a short time and after a certain period you will face the same problems.
The only alternative to a root canal procedure is having the tooth extracted and replaced with a crown, implant or denture to restore chewing function and prevent adjacent teeth from shifting. These alternatives not only are more expensive than a root canal procedure but also require more treatment time and additional procedures on adjacent teeth and supporting tissues.

Frequently Asked Questions

No, an infected tooth cannot heal itself. In fact, the infection can spread to other areas of your jaw causing serious pain. Treating an infected tooth requires medications or root canal treatment. For getting an RCT, book your appointment at the nearest Innovative Dental Care Clinic.
On an average a root canal treated tooth, maintained well by the patient lasts for around 10-15 years or even more. Placement of a crown on the tooth prolongs the lifespan by protecting it against the chewing forces.
No, a root canal treatment is pain-free. Before proceeding with the root canal treatment, a dentist will use local anesthesia to numb the infected area ensuring a painless treatment.
Once the root canal treatment is completed, the treated tooth will heal within  a few days. Patients might experience some pain once they awaken from anesthesia; this is likely to end within a few days due to medication.
Most root canal treatment can be successfully completed by a dentist in a single day. In certain cases of serious infection or back tooth, a dentist may give 2-3 days appointment for finishing the treatment.
It is sometimes possible that the tooth has been treated with a root canal procedure, acquire an infection again. This happens because of many reasons like leakage from restoration, tooth fracture, weak immunity, and decay in the tooth below the crown or an infection of the gums (due to gum disease) spreading to the treated tooth.
Saving natural teeth by root canal procedure is absolutely better than getting your teeth remove. The expense of the replacing teeth after removal is much more than the cost of root canal procedure. Additionally, preserving natural teeth contributes in the overall wellbeing of an individual.
The dentist has to anaesthetize the tooth for the RCT. Eating food is advised generally after the numbness of the check and tongue wears off to avoid accidental biting of check and tongue. It is better to avoid chewing hard food or biting on the treated tooth until the treatment is fully complete. You can eat all regular food on other side of mouth until procedure is completed.
If a RCT is delayed for a long period of time, the bacterial infection can spread to other areas of the mouth and neck, putting the patient at a greater risk of developing serious conditions. The untreated infection can cause a pus filled sac to form which may spread to spaces of the neck sometimes. This type of situation required urgent medical attention.
Antibiotics are sometimes prescribed as a supportive medication to reduce the bacterial load when there is pus formation due to an untreated infected tooth. Antibiotics can temporarily heal a painful tooth by lowering the infection but are not a substitute for root canal treatment.
The price of a root canal depends on the location and health of the afflicted tooth, as well as whether or not a crown is required. If the infection in your tooth is not treated, it might spread to adjacent teeth, gums, or even travel to other parts of your body, which will further become more expensive in the future.