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Written by:
Ibaa A. Affana, DDS
Specialist, Endodontics
International Medical Center, Jeddah
These days there are misconceptions surrounding root canal treatment to the extent that most of people are ready to withstand the excruciating pain so they do not visit the doctor. In fact, with modern technologies and anesthetics, the root canal procedures have considerably changed.
You brush your teeth every day, but you most likely don’t know their inner workings. Every tooth has roots that anchor it to jawbone. Inside the body of the tooth and inside its roots is a hollow central cavity, or canal. And inside that hollow cavity is an inner pulp containing a network of nerves, blood vessels and tissues. The pulp helps nourish your tooth.
This topic is of huge importance and has various aspects to it. Let us just focus on one aspect at a time. When it comes to defining pain, root canal pain cannot be ignored as most of patients experience severe and throbbing dental pain that interferes with their daily activities and even deprive them from having adequate sleep. The cause of this unbearable pain is usually a cavity that continued to progress until it involved the tooth pulp and caused inflammation. Other causes include faulty crowns, tooth chipping, cracks or repeated dental procedures.
Many patients are surprised when they realize that there is no more prolonged visits to the dentist in order to obtain a canal treatment and that the treatment finishes only in one session. In fact, efficient doctors prefer single visit treatments as they reduces inter-appointment microbial contamination and are generally more convenient to the patient.
Sadly, tooth extraction has long been the go-to procedure for most of the people who experience pain! For which endodontists always reply that saving natural teeth is the best option as nothing can completely replace the natural tooth. In fact, root canal treatment, along with appropriate restoration is usually less expensive than extraction and placement of a bridge or an implant.
Benefits of the root canal procedure over pulling a tooth include the ability to bite normally, chew comfortably, and retain the natural look of the your smile. Nothing looks, feels, or functions quite like your natural teeth so choose wisely when it comes to dental choices. A tooth that has had a root canal treatment often lasts a lifetime so you can keep smiling with confidence!
