ROOT CANAL THERAPY EXPLAINED—COCHRAN FAMILY DENTAL

Root canal therapy is intended to eliminate bacterial infections inside the teeth and lower the chances of reinfection. When a tooth is broken or decayed, bacteria may enter the root canal and infect the nerve. Abscesses are often formed in severe infection, or the patient may experience pain and discomfort. An abscess is swelling full of pus at the end of the root canal. To remedy this, root canal therapy is required—the tooth can also be extracted in stages.

Symptoms of Tooth Canal Infection

A patient who requires a root canal may exhibit the following symptoms:

• Severe pain and discomfort
• Sensitivity to both hot and cold foods and drinks.
• The patient will not be able to eat or chew on that particular tooth
• Formation of abscess and pus coming out of the affected tooth

To prevent infection of the root canal, one needs to maintain high levels of oral hygiene by brushing twice a day and flossing daily, using a toothpaste that contains fluoride and replacing your toothbrush regularly. It is also important to visit the dentist every six months for routine checkups. These will reduce the chances of getting a tooth infection.

Root Canal Therapy Procedure

Root canal therapy involves three stages to ensure the infection is treated and the risk of reinfection is lowered. These stages are:

• Extirpation. This is the first stage and involves cleaning the tooth using small files. The dentist removes everything inside the tooth, including diseased and dead pulp tissues. This is done under local anesthesia. This stage takes about 20-40 minutes, based on the complexity of the infection.
• Instrumentation. The root canal is cleaned further to ensure that bacteria are controlled or eliminated and that the tooth is pain-free. This may take 30-to 60 minutes to complete.
• Obturation. At this point, the tooth is dead and there is no pain since nerves have been removed from the tooth. Then the tooth is filled with special Gita perch material to seal up the hole and complete the therapy. This stage may take 30 minutes or even one hour if the case is complex.

Root canal therapy requires one appointment, but if there is a large infection or multiple canals, it may take two or more appointments.

What Complications Can Occur During Root Canal Therapy?

Like any medical procedure, there are risks of complications during root can therapy. A dentist might only remove three canals in a tooth with four leaving one canal. If this occurs, the left canal might cause reinfection, which can spread into the bone. The canal should be filled well during the procedure. If the canal is not properly sealed, the infection can reoccur. The tooth can be cracked at the root during the procedure or an instrument can break in the canal, complicating the filling process.

Schedule an Appointment to Learn About Root Canal Therapy

To prevent unavoidable complications, you should have your root canal therapy performed by a qualified dental surgeon. Cochran Family Dental has a qualified dentist and state-of-the-art equipment to perform root canal therapy. We serve the cities of Leesburg, Ashburn, and Purcellville with modern and comprehensive dental care services. To learn more about root canal therapy and the other services we offer, call us today to schedule an appointment at 703-771-9034, or email us using the contact form on this page.