Root canal treatment or RCT is a procedure that is used to treat infected teeth painlessly. Dental caries is one of the most common causes of infected teeth that require Root Canal Treatments. You need to realize the necessity of root canal treatment and be aware of the signs you need a root canal treatment to get timely treatment for your infected teeth.
Root canal treatment is one of the most commonly performed dental procedures in India. This is because of the rise in tooth infections due to bad eating habits and dental hygiene. Tooth decay and infection are a necessity of root canal treatment.
This article will discuss root canal treatment, some of the signs when you need a root canal treatment, and various other aspects of Root Canal Treatment that you need to know about.
Table of Content
Feel free to skip ahead if one topic catches your eye:
- What is a Root Canal?
- Signs that you need a Root Canal.
- Root Canal Procedure: Is Root Canal Painful?
- What to expect after a Root Canal treatment?
- Root Canal VS Tooth Extraction
- Root Canal Treatment in India.
1. What is a Root Canal?
Root canal treatment is a procedure that is now commonly performed if you have a damaged or infected tooth. Using this procedure, the dentist can save your natural tooth instead of removing it.
Permanent teeth of our body are composed of 3 layers. The innermost layer is called the pulp and consists of blood vessels and nerves. When a tooth infection reaches the pulp, it causes pain to the patient. Using the Root Canal Treatment, this pulp can be removed without removing the whole tooth.
This helps in saving the natural tooth and also in removing the microbes and infection from the tooth. A full-grown tooth does not require the pulp as it can get its nutrition from the surrounding tissue. So, using an RCT, the infection and pulp are removed.
During a Root Canal Treatment, the following things are done:
- The bacterial decay is removed from the pulp
- The area is sterilized using antibiotics
- The empty roots are filled
- And lastly, the cavity is sealed to prevent future infections
2. Signs that you need a Root Canal
It is important to know the signs that indicate a root canal treatment. This will help you recognize the presence of infection earlier and get prompt treatment for the same. These signs include:
- Persistent tooth pain
- Sensitivity to hot or cold substances
- Tooth discoloration
- Swollen gums
- Chipped or cracked tooth
- Pain while eating or touching the tooth
- Mobility in the tooth
- Fever along with local symptoms
If you experience any of the given symptoms, contact a dentist immediately, as these symptoms can be because of a tooth infection. Timely treatment will help preserve your natural tooth.
3. Root Canal Procedure: Is Root Canal Painful?
The root canal treatment can sound very scary to most people, but it is a very safe and comfortable procedure. Because of the advancements in science and technology, this procedure can now be performed pain-free. But always keep in mind that only a dentist or endodontist can perform a Root Canal Treatment.
When you visit your dentist with any of the signs of tooth infection, he/she will examine your teeth and take X-rays of the tooth and surrounding tissues. These will help them determine the infection and its location. They will also check the involvement of other surrounding structures.
Local anesthesia will be given to numb the area and so you will feel absolutely no pain during the procedure.
After the area is completely anesthetized, the dentist will then drill a hole in your infected tooth to reach the pulp that is infected. He will then remove all the debris and the bacteria from the tooth. After all the waste material is removed from the tooth, it will be washed with water or sodium hypochlorite to flush all the remaining debris.
Once the tooth has been cleaned, it has to be sealed. It can either be done on the same day or a later day. If there is an active infection in the tooth, antibiotics are sprayed in the cavity. After about a week, the tooth will be sealed. A temporary filling is placed over the cavity to prevent saliva and food particles from going inside the cavity.
To fill the tooth, a sealer paste and a compound known as gutta-percha are placed in the root canal.
After the procedure is complete, you might need other treatments like getting a dental crown placed. This is because a root canal is often performed when there is much damage to the tooth. That can lead to breakage, requiring a dental crown.
Some of the commonly asked questions are:
- How many sittings required for a root canal?
- Is cap necessary after a root canal?
How many sittings required for a root canal?
The number of sittings for Root Canal Treatment depends on the condition of your tooth. If it is a normal case and you do not have any complications, your Root canal can be completed in one sitting only. But if it is a complicated case with active infection present, you will require at least two sittings to complete Root canal treatment.
Is cap necessary after a root canal?
While all Root Canal treatments require some kind of reinforcement to protect the tooth, a cap is not always needed. The choice of putting a cap depends mainly on the tooth that is infected and its position.
Teeth present in the front of the jaw, like incisors and canines, are stronger teeth and mostly do not require a cap.
But teeth present in the back of your mouth like molars and premolars often have to be fitted with a cap after the Root Canal procedure.
4. What to expect after a Root Canal treatment?
Root Canal treatment is a very safe procedure with a high success rate. It is performed as an outpatient procedure and has no downtime, meaning you can go back to your daily activities as soon as the procedure is over.
You might feel numbness for some time because of the anesthesia. Avoid eating anything till the numbness subsides.
Other than that, you might feel some amount of pain or sensitivity in the operated area because of inflammation in the surrounding tissues. That is completely normal and can be relieved by taking NSAIDs like ibuprofen or naproxen. These will be prescribed to you by your dentist.
One frequently asked question is, “For how long will I feel pain after a root canal?” Most people feel pain for about 2 to 3 days after the procedure that can be easily relieved by taking ibuprofen or naproxen.
It is important to follow your dentist’s advice and take all the prescribed medications properly to recover properly.
It is advisable to not use the affected teeth for eating or chewing hard food items for some time till the permanent filling and crown are properly set. This will prevent any damage to the crown and the possibility of future infection.
Apart from this, maintain good oral hygiene. Brush and floss your teeth regularly and properly to prevent any future infections. Follow up with your dentist regularly to keep a check on your dental health.
5. Root Canal VS Tooth Extraction
Once a tooth is infected, two treatment options are available – a Root Canal or Tooth Extraction. So, which of these is the best for an infected tooth.
Tooth extraction seems like an easy option in case a tooth is infected. But in reality, tooth extraction can be a very complex procedure. In comparison, a Root canal is a very safe procedure that has a very high success rate.
It is always best to save any natural part of our body because there is nothing better for our body than the stuff it came with. Root canal treatment allows for that to happen. Using a Root canal treatment, your natural teeth can be saved. A tooth extraction will obviously remove your tooth.
Having said that, in some cases, the tooth can not be saved. This occurs if the cavity is too large and the tooth is very weak to repair. In these cases, tooth extraction becomes necessary.
When it comes to the cost, Root canal treatments are generally more expensive than a tooth extraction.
6. Root Canal Treatment in India
India is one of the best counties to get any dental procedures done. This is true for Root Canal treatments as well. There are several benefits of choosing Root canal treatment in India.
Skilled and experienced dentists and endodontists
India has the most skilled and qualified dentists in the world. They have a very high success rate of about 95 to 98%. The dentists perform the treatment with great care and precision that ensures you get the best results.
Affordable Treatment
The best part about getting the procedure done from India is that you not only get the best medical facilities in the world, but you also get them at the most affordable rates.
Ease in Medical Visa
It is relatively easy to get a medical visa for treatment in India. Medinirvana will help you get the medical visa and all the other necessary documents with ease, so you do not have to worry about all these formalities.
Safety in covid situation
It is possible to get your treatment even in COVID times because we take extreme care and precaution to ensure the safety of our patients. We follow all the COVID guidelines and urge you to do the same. Our facilities are regularly sanitized, and proper social distancing is maintained at all times.
All our medical staff follows proper masking and hand hygiene, and they undergo regular COVID checks.
Take Away
This was a brief article on Root canal treatment and the necessity of root canal treatment. We hope that this helped you have a clearer understanding of the procedure. If you still have any doubts, feel free to contact our expert dentists to know more.
We, at Medinirvana, help make the entire process comfortable and completely hassle-free for you and your family by helping you with all the documents and formalities so that you do not have to worry about all these.
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