When a tooth becomes infected, it is usually requires the removal of the affected nerves. If left untreated, an infection can turn into an abscess, which is a much more serious problem that includes bone loss in the jaw. A root canal will relieve you from pain caused by the infection, allowing you to enjoy all the foods you love without any pain from heat, cold or biting too hard.
When you are in our Bemidji dental offices, we begin by numbing the area around the tooth with a local anesthetic. We then create a canal in the tooth that we use to remove the infected nerves using a procedure known as “rotary endodontics.” Rotary endodontics is a way of performing the root canal utilizing a specific electrical handpiece. This tool often makes the process faster and allows us to perform the process with greater ease. After the infection has been removed, the space is filled with a sealant. It is highly recommended that a tooth that has undergone a root canal is fitted with a crown. This will improve the appearance of the tooth, and will also make it much more likely that the root canal is successful.
“Root canal” has become a scary term for dental patients to hear, but the benefits of the procedure and advances in dental technology have made it much less “scary.” Local anesthetics and proper pain medication allow the procedure to be performed with little to no pain in most cases, although like most dental procedures, there may be some soreness following the procedure. Over-the-counter painkillers are usually enough to provide relief, but our Bemidji dental office may also prescribe medication as necessary.
