Wondering What is a Root Canal Exactly?
Every tooth in your mouth has one or more roots. It keeps your tooth in your mouth, and much like the root of a tree, your tooth’s root gathers nutrients that help your tooth do it’s job.
Each root is hollow and filled with nerves, blood vessels and a fleshy tissue dentists call “pulp.”
The pulp is where the problem starts that ends in a procedure known affectionately around here as a “Root Canal.” The pulp can get infected and inflamed. It hurts — at times severely. On occasion, the problem can spread beyond the tooth and make a pocket of infection you undoubtedly know as an abscess. That usually hurts even more.
Well, it’s really simple. We have to go in there and clean house. We remove the infected pulp and put some amazing material in its place. Usually that takes care of it. The pain goes away. You have your dentist apply a protective crown and the tooth lasts the rest of your life. Especially if you brush and floss like your mom taught you to do.
Actually, there is one other solution to your pain. You could have someone pull the tooth out of your mouth.
You don’t want that, unless it is truly your only option. In that case, it’s a good thing to have the tooth removed. You may have heard about the little boy who’s big-boy teeth started coming up — pushing his baby-boy teeth out of the way. His dad tied a string around the already very loose tooth. Then he tied the other end of the string to a door knob. I can’t imagine where he got the idea, but he then slammed the door. The tooth just came out and the little boy hardly felt a thing. This, of course, is not a professionally recommended procedure and it doesn’t work when it comes to extracting an adult tooth. That involves considerable pulling and tugging.
Sometimes the dentist must take a chisel and break the tooth apart to get it out. Then to avoid further complications, you must fill the gap that’s left with an implant or bridge. That can get very expensive.
That’s why the root canal is such a wonderful procedure. It is the least expensive solution for an infected tooth, and there’s nothing better than keeping your own teeth your whole life.
Today a root canal is normally a nothing-to-be-worried-about procedure. We take care of the problem and the pain goes away. From the moment we see you in our “welcome lobby”, we surround you with an authentic heart-felt concern. Both medically and relationally. We do every thing possible to make your experience here a pleasant one, so there won’t be a drop of dread should you ever need to come our way again.
