A root canal has long been a procedure feared by even the most
comfortable of dental patients. However, in the last ten years
significant technological advances have made the procedure relatively
easy and pain free, eliminating the anxiety that once was the hallmark
of this routine procedure.
A root canal is needed when the soft nerve tissue underneath the
tooth becomes infected. The process is viewed as difficult because the
tooth must be opened to reveal the nerves.
But new techniques in this area
make the procedure virtually painless. A root canal begins with the
numbing process. While a patient may feel some pressure on the tooth
during this process, there is little, if any, pain. In fact, given that
the patient was likely in pain before the procedure, the numbing process
offers a welcome respite from the pain; and it only gets better from
there.
The next step is the extraction. The offending nerve is revealed and
then removed. The inside of the tooth is then cleaned in order to
prevent additional infection or pain. Once cleaned, the area is filled
with a rubber-like material – another technological advancement that
adds to the long-term success of today’s root canal procedure.
The last step in the procedure is to cap the tooth, which covers the
area within the tooth that has been cleaned and filled. A normal crown
or filling is used for this process. Here too, technological advances in
tools and materials help streamline this step and make it quick and
easy.
After the root canal procedure and once the numbing wears off, there
is a healing process that may cause a small amount of discomfort.
However, any minimal discomfort is easily resolved with a little Advil
or Tylenol.
