Putting the Painful Perception to Rest
If you’ve been told that you need a root canal, you may be a little apprehensive, scared, or straight-up terrified. We understand because we know that many people have the perception that this dental treatment is painful. But quite the opposite is true. If you need a root canal, chances are you’re already in pain, and sometimes excruciating pain at that. That’s because there’s an infection so deep into your tooth that it’s reached your nerves. When this happens, your dentist in Canton will typically recommend a root canal to remove the infection, stop the pain, and save your tooth. So you see, a root canal actually stops the pain instead of causing it.
5 Steps of a Root Canal
Our experience shows that sometimes, knowing what your dentist in Canton is going to do will help alleviate fears. However, if you’re the opposite and you find that knowing the details of treatment just exacerbates fear, skip to the next section.
The five steps of a root canal are:
- Numb the area. A root canal treatment begins with a thorough numbing of the treatment area. After just a few minutes, you shouldn’t feel a thing. This helps reduce or completely remove any discomfort.
- Make a teeny hole. Once you’re nice and numb, your dentist will make an itsy bitsy hole to access the inner tooth where all of your canals, nerves, and pulp resides.
- Clean out the canals. Your dentist will then clean out your canals and remove all the inner-workings of them including any infection, pulp, and nerves. This completely eliminates that tooth’s ability to feel anything, hence removing the pain you started with.
- Seal them off. Almost done! After the canals are cleaned they will be sealed off to prevent anything from reentering.
- Place a dental crown. The final step of a root canal often involves the creation and placement of a dental crown. This cap covers the entire tooth and farther prevents anything from getting inside. Dental crowns are custom-created to match the color and shape of the rest of your teeth, so nobody will even know it’s there.
Signs You May Need a Root Canal
As we’ve already mentioned, tooth pain can be a sign that you need a root canal. However, it’s important to know that tooth pain does not always equate to a root canal. There are tons of things that can cause tooth pain, so check with your dentist in Canton. Other signs that you may need a root canal include:
- Increased pain while chewing or with applied pressure
- Sensitivity to heat or cold that doesn’t go away quickly
- A small raised bump on the gums near the tooth that hurts
- Tooth discoloration
- Gum swelling or pain
Any of these symptoms should be a sign that you should schedule an appointment with your dentist. If you happen to need a root canal, don’t panic. Relief is coming.
We’re always accepting new patients at our dental offices in Canton, Farmington Hills, and Livonia.
