What to Expect During Your Root Canal

If your dentist recommended a root canal, this information would help you understand what it is. Fortunately, this procedure does not cause any pain. It is also a successful treatment that saves natural teeth. Knowing what this procedure entails will help put your mind at ease.

What is a root canal?

To start with, a root canal is a minimally invasive procedure that allows people to keep their permanent tooth. With the mouth numbed, the patient will not feel a thing other than a slight pinch of the needle. Other than that, the process is a breeze. Patients will heal quickly and go back to their normal activities immediately.

The beginning

As soon as someone notices something wrong, they need to contact a dentist. After arriving for a scheduled appointment, an assistant will take X-rays. Following that, the dentist will perform an oral examination. Based on the findings, they will make the appropriate recommendation. If the individual needs a root canal, the dental professional will do it during that same visit.

While relaxing in the dental chair, the dentist will pull up alongside to start the procedure. This entails numbing the mouth, so the patient feels nothing. When done, the dental professional uses tools to drill a small hole in the tooth. That creates an opening through which they perform the other work.

With a different set of dental tools, the dentist extracts the diseased pulp. At the same time, any infected debris comes out. This is important in that it prevents infection from spreading. Not only could it impact surrounding teeth but also get into the bloodstream. If either one of those happens, the patient now has a second problem.

With the pulp and debris removed, the dental professional disinfects the now open space. Reshaping of the canal is another part of the root canal process. With all of that complete, most patients receive a temporary crown. Over the next two weeks, a dental laboratory makes a permanent crown. When ready, the patient would return to the dental clinic.

Again, the patient sits in the dental chair for the fitting. Using a strong adhesive, the dentist caps the tooth. The crown matches the person’s natural tooth and fits firm. As a result, that individual can chew and eat without any problem. The matching crown also makes the patient’s tooth look normal. This is especially critical when capping a front tooth.

Getting back to normal

Most patients return home after having a root canal to rest. Once the numbing medication wears off, the individual might feel slight discomfort and tenderness. However, this typically only lasts a day. If necessary, the individual can take something over the counter for pain. With a temporary crown on, it is important for the person to be careful when eating.

The new crown applied following a root canal serves to protect the tooth. The individual would treat this no differently than their own tooth. That means flossing and brushing daily. Seldom does anything go wrong. However, for any lasting pain or another issue, the person should contact the dentist right away.

Looking and feeling good

A root canal is a simple procedure. Having this done on one tooth, including X-rays and the examination, usually only takes an hour. After having this procedure done, you will feel confident when smiling. Do not let a simple cavity turn into a full-blown infection. Contact your dentist if you experience pain or sensitivity to hot and cold.

Request an appointment here: https://drdelucia.com or call Anthony DeLucia D.D.S., P.A. at (772) 492-7045 for an appointment in our Stuart office.

Check out what others are saying about our services on Yelp: Read our Yelp reviews.