Root Canal Therapy in Yarmouth ME

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What Happens During a Root Canal?

Root canal treatments are nowhere near as painful as you may have heard; a local anesthetic will be used to numb your mouth before the procedure starts. Once we’re sure that you’re comfortable, we can place a dental dam in your mouth. The dam is to make sure the tooth stays free of saliva throughout the procedure.

A small opening will be made in your enamel so that we can access the pulp. All of the infected tissue will be removed, and the inner canals of the tooth will be sterilized. After we’ve completed the cleaning process, we can use gutta-percha to re-fill the tooth before sealing it again.

In many cases, a dental crown will need to be attached to the tooth following a root canal treatment. This is to ensure that the tooth has enough strength for you to keep using it for everyday tasks such as biting and chewing. Without a crown, there’s a chance that the tooth could break at some point in the future.

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Professional Care For Root Canal in Yarmouth ME

Root Canal Therapy or RCT, is a dental surgical technique where a hole is made in the affected tooth to gain access to the infected pulp that lies underneath. At that point, depending on the nature of the infection, antibiotics may be applied to clear the infection. The pulp itself may be removed if the infection is too severe, or other techniques may be used.

It is important to get proper RCT from a professional once you have been diagnosed with infected roots or pulp because, without treatment, this can lead to:

• An infected swelling that can spread to other parts of your mouth, face, and head.
• Bone loss around the root area
• Infected fluids can drain into the gums, spreading the infection further or even penetrating the cheek.

In every case, the outcome is the same; ignoring the problem will simply make it grow larger and potentially infect much more of your mouth, face, and head. But, with a proper diagnosis of the problem, a few RCT techniques can be employed depending on the severity of the infection. Some of the procedures that can be employed are:

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Pulpectomy

In the less serious cases, only a partial root canal, or pulpectomy needs to be performed. This is a two-step process. The first visit will give access to the pulp to administer antibiotics and ensure that the infection is eliminated in other parts of your mouth and confined to the pulp.

Once your mouth has recovered somewhat, the next step is to remove the infected pulp, then thoroughly clean, disinfect and fill the formerly infected canal.

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Apicoectomy

In cases where an infection is more severe and goes beyond the root tip, a dentist may suggest an apicoectomy. The root tip, tissue, and apical infection are treated, requiring a much larger area to be opened in your tooth. Once the treatment has been completed, a biocompatible, rubbery, plant-based material known as Gutta Percha is used to fill in space and seal the tooth from bacteria and possible reinfection.

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Typically, root canals are recommended by a dentist after a thorough examination. However, if you haven’t visited a dentist for quite some time and are experiencing unusual amounts of pain in your tooth, the infected pulp may be the problem. Call our team at Forest Falls Dental today for an accurate assessment and see if a root canal can treat your problem.