Root Canal Therapy: Procedure & Aftercare
Root canal therapy in Stockton, CA, has been a treatment that has been associated with pain. Some people are so afraid of the treatment that they don’t visit our dentist. But this shouldn’t be the case since root canal therapy is not what it was decades ago.
Root canal therapy has taken a turn for the better. From the diagnosis to the treatment, you can expect a pain-free experience. Our dentist usually performs root canal therapy to salvage an infected tooth by removing the damaged or diseased pulp. On the contrary, root canal therapy is done to alleviate pain.
If you have been scheduled to undergo endodontics near you, you must wonder how the procedure is done. Well, you have come to the right place!
Before Your Treatment
Before your dental appointment, check in with your dental insurance company and have your information on hand. You might also have to avail your medical history, which should contain the medications you use, prescription and non-prescription medication, and herbal supplements.
Once you have this information with you, you can make your way to our office, where our dentist will do the following:
- Step 1
Take x-rays to check the state of your tooth that needs root canal therapy. During this session, our dentist will also determine if endodontic therapy will be the best option for the tooth.
- Step 2
Once our dentist has ascertained that your tooth is ready for a root canal, the next step is administering local anesthesia. Administration of anesthesia is necessary to ensure that the area to be worked on is numb. You will experience the prick as our dentist administers the anesthetic.
- Step 3
The anesthetic will kick in in a few moments, so our dentist will place a rubber sheet known as a dental dam to isolate the tooth. It also aids in keeping the area clean and dry during the procedure.
During the Procedure
A typical root canal procedure will take at most 90 minutes. However, if you have several teeth that need root canal treatment, you will have to come back for a second appointment to deal with them. Here’s what happens:
- Step 4
Our dentist will gain access to the infected pulp using a drill. The opening will expose the dental pulp, home to the nerves, blood vessels, and connective tissue.
- Step 5
Our dentist will remove the damaged, inflamed, or infected pulp from your tooth. This part of the tooth is known as the root canal, so that’s where the procedure derives its name.
- Step 6
After removing the dental pulp, our dentist will clean the center of your tooth. Our dentist will ascertain that the area is clean and then shape and widen the root canal using small dental files to create room for a filling. The pulp chamber will be rinsed out with different solutions to ensure that all remnants are washed away. Our dentist will then dry the tooth.
- Step 7
Our dentist will use an antimicrobial medication to treat the root canal and prevent re-infection. If our dentist notices that the infection is severe, you will have to wait for the tooth to drain for a day or two. Then, you will come back to complete the procedure.
- Step 8
Then, a biocompatible material, gutta-percha, is used by our dentist to fill out the root canal. The gutta-percha will be cemented to seal the root canal, eliminating the further infection.
- Step 9
This is the last stage of the root canal procedure. Our dentist will place a temporary filling to cover the tooth as you wait for your permanent tooth filling or crown. Sometimes, our dentist might skip placing a temporary and permanent filling instead during the same appointment.
Aftercare
After the infected pulp has been removed and your tooth is covered, the ball is in your court. In other words, you will need to care for the tooth and pay extra attention to ensure that your teeth don’t get re-infected. You can care for your teeth by:
- Avoid chewing and biting with the treated tooth
- Take the prescription medication to deal with pain, bacteria, and sensitivity
- Maintain proper oral hygiene
- Visit our dentist for a follow-up to assess the progress of your tooth
Root canal therapy near you is performed to remove the infected pulp and give you a brand new smile. If you have any more concerns about this procedure, contact us at Lakefront Smiles.