Many people shudder at the thought of root canal but you may have to undergo the process at some point in your life. In fact, 15 million root canal treatments are performed in USA every year while the number for each day amounts to 41,000.
Many of us associate pain and trauma with root canals and this leads 15% Americans to avoid seeking dental treatments like root canal. But as it turns out, with today’s technology and the proper anesthetic the root canal process is virtually painless.
What is a Root Canal?
Sometimes the pulp inside your teeth gets infected or injured causing excruciating pain. The causes can also include fracture, decay, abscess and other ailments. Root Canals are performed by dentists to relive the patients from the pain of such conditions. It normalized the tissues supporting the tooth and brings it back to its normal condition.
The dentists will clean and remove the infected pulp from within your teeth. Then the gaps are filled and sealed by the dentist. Root canal can save you from losing your teeth by making it healthy once again ! You will be able to bite and chew without any problem or pain!
What to Expect
Your root canal treatment can be completed in one visit depending on your condition. But you may also need to make several visits to ensure the success of your treatment. The dentists may also recommend digital imaging or x-rays to evaluate the position or length of the canals.
A root canal lasts many years and seldom needs to be redone.
The process is also not painful as the nerves of the teeth are most of the time already dead. The pain signals carried by the nerves are completely eliminated as it cannot carry any sensory perception. You will also be given anesthetics so that you don’t even feel a bit of pain. The dentist will also give a restoration and care plan with dental hygiene practices like regular flossing and brushing.
There is no reason to fear a root canal. It is one of the most successful treatments to save infected or damaged teeth. You should also go for a checkup once in every six month to determine the status of your teeth.
Root Canal is a Safe Treatment
Always choose root canal even if possible over an extraction. Visit a dentist on the first instance of pain so that treatment and diagnosis can begin early. All patients are treated with due care by Dr. Lantigua and his experienced team which guarantees high chances of success. The environment of the clinic will also help you relax and ease your tensions about the process.
Some people even say root canal with proper anesthesia is 6 times less painful than going through a root extraction.
So you know all the myths about root canal being painful are just a misconception.