Imagine your tooth as a house. Inside this house, there's a room called the root canal, and it's where the nerve of your tooth lives. Sometimes, this room can get infected or damaged because of a deep cavity, a crack in the tooth, or trauma. When this happens, it can cause a lot of pain and might even lead to an abscess (a pocket of infection) if not treated.
To fix this, an endodontist (a specialist in treating root canals of teeth) performs a root canal treatment. Here's what happens:
1. Cleaning the House: First, the dentist numbs the area around the tooth to make sure you don't feel any pain during the procedure. Then, they create a small opening in the top part of the tooth to reach the infected or damaged root canal.
2. Clearing out the Trouble: Using special tiny instruments, the dentist carefully removes the infected or damaged tissue and cleans out the inside of the root canal to get rid of bacteria and any debris.
3. Sealing and Protecting: Once the root canal is clean, the space is filled with a material which seals off the canal to prevent bacteria from getting back in. Typically, a temporary filling is placed to protect the tooth until you return to your dentist for the final restoration. Sometimes, a small post is placed inside the root canal to help support the filling and crown that will be placed on top of the tooth later.
4. Securing the House: Finally, it is very important to return to your dentist as soon as possible following completion of the root canal. Your dentist will rebuild the missing tooth structure with a filling to protect it. In some cases, a crown (a cap that covers the entire tooth) may be needed if a lot of its structure was damaged.
After the root canal treatment, your tooth should feel much better. It may be a bit sensitive for a few days/weeks, but this discomfort is usually manageable with over-the-counter pain relievers. The root canal allows you to keep your natural tooth instead of having it pulled out, which is usually the best option for your overall dental health.
Overall, a root canal is a procedure that helps save your tooth and relieve pain caused by infection or damage in the root canal space. It's a common and effective treatment that millions of people undergo each year to preserve their natural smiles.