Root canal treatment in Danvers is a form of endodontic treatment designed to save infected or damaged teeth at risk of extraction. At Danvers Aesthetic Family Dentistry, our dentists are equipped to administer endodontic procedures using some of the most advanced technologies available. By alleviating and removing the pain caused by the diseased pulp, we can reduce the risk of future infection and save an affected tooth from the cost of removal and replacement. If you want to eliminate your oral pain and keep your natural teeth in place, call to schedule an appointment.
Typically, your dentist will recommend root canal treatment to save your tooth or teeth from traumatic injuries that affect the inner tissues, inflammation, or infection of the pulp and nerve. Endodontics is the area of dentistry that specializes in saving teeth, such as performing root canals and other treatments, to enable patients to retain their teeth. Before the procedure, your dentist may recommend an X-ray for diagnosis and medication to reduce severe inflammation.
Typically, you will need this type of procedure to treat a deep cavity, if you are experiencing issues from an existing filling, or if you have a cracked tooth. Your symptoms may include:
A root canal is performed under local anesthesia and involves the removal of the infected pulp. Your dentist will enter the top of the affected tooth (its crown) before cleaning the root canals and pulp chamber, effectively extracting the diseased tissues. They will then fill the tooth with a substance known as gutta-percha, ensuring the internal area maintains its structure.
More root canal infections are treated within one appointment, but you may need further appointments depending on the severity.
After placing a seal over the entry point of the tooth, it will be protected with a custom crown – one created using an impression taken early in the treatment process.
Learning you need a root canal may not be what you want to hear; however, undergoing treatment is far better than having a natural tooth removed when it’s not necessary. The reality is that there are many benefits to receiving a root canal, such as:
Most people can return to work (or school) the day after their root canal. Still, the time needed for a full recovery varies from patient to patient. Physical laborers may need to take two or three days off to recover, as vigorous exercise delays the healing process. They’d just divert blood from the treatment site (and risk complications) if they work right after a root canal.
All that said, you can take steps to ensure a speedy recovery. Just remember to take prescribed medication as directed, only eat soft foods, and chew on the side opposite your tooth. These guidelines should help any post-treatment pain fade after three days or so. (If your pain persists, call your dentist immediately.)
Whether you can eat before a root canal will depend on your situation. More specifically, it’s decided by what role (if any) sedation plays in your treatment.
If you’ll be sedated for your root canal, you shouldn’t eat right before. Doing so would increase the risk of nausea caused by sedatives – a scenario that’d complicate your treatment. Instead, you should fast for at least a few hours beforehand to ensure a smooth procedure.
Meanwhile, those not being sedated should eat before treatment. The anesthesia used for a root canal numbs your mouth for hours afterward, making it difficult to eat. Having a healthy meal before care will prevent hunger as you wait for the anesthetics to wear off. (Just remember to avoid alcohol in the 24 hours leading up to your root canal; it interacts negatively with anesthesia.)
Whatever you may have thought, a root canal won’t make you sick. Any suggestion otherwise is a false claim based on bad or faulty science.
Indeed, the idea that root canals cause sickness is a complete myth. It traces back to poorly-designed research conducted by a dentist, Dr. Weston Price, in the 1920s. Said research has been debunked for several decades now, with no scientific evidence linking root canals to increased disease risk. On the contrary, a tooth extraction would be the real treatment to watch for; it’d likely introduce bacteria into your bloodstream.
Even if your toothache fades, you may still need a root canal. It all depends on what was causing your pain in the first place.
For example, say that your toothache came from a tooth infection. You’ll almost certainly need a root canal in that case, as infections don’t disappear on their own. Your pain only “went away” because the infecting bacteria had spread enough to kill your tooth’s nerve. Skipping treatment would let those microbes reach other body parts, resulting in even worse effects.
Only a dentist can tell if you need a root canal, whether you have a toothache or not. You should thus get their input and care as soon as possible.