TOOTH PAIN AND ROOT CANALS
Tooth pain is undeniable and for good reason. Tooth pain is a signal that something is wrong. Your body uses pain receptors to make you aware of a pending illness caused by a change.
Tooth pain can be so unbearable that it could cause you to miss work, school, events, and challenge your ability to get good sleep. While tooth pain can originate from many different causes, sometimes tooth pain is related to inflammation or infection.
Many times, tooth pain is relieved through a root canal. Root Canal Therapy is one of the most common dental procedures performed by Atlanta Endo Surgical Center and Endodontist, Dr. Helen Sempira. In the United States, well over 14 million root canals are performed every year. Endodontic treatment can save your natural teeth and prevent the need for dental implants or bridges. Root canals are the layman’s term for Endodontic therapy or endodontic treatment. A root canal removes infected pulp within a tooth that is inflamed or infected by decontamination by decay.
What is an Endodontic Root Canal Therapy?
Endodontic Root Canal Therapy or a root canal is a procedure, usually performed by an endodontist, to save a tooth that is painful and damaged by inflammation or infection. Inside every tooth, there is a soft tissue called pulp. The pulp contains blood vessels, nerves and roots that grow as we age. Once a tooth is fully grown, a tooth can survive without the pulp, living by the tissues that surround it.
If a tooth becomes infected or dies due to decay, trauma, deep dental fillings, or other medical reasons, the pulp may be inflamed, infected, or damaged, causing extreme pain. To address the inflammation, infection and pain, an endodontist can perform a root canal, or endodontic treatment.
The endodontist will review x-rays send by the dentist. Often, additional x-rays will be taken, and the endodontist will explain the treatment necessary.
On the day of the procedure, the endodontist will numb the area and stop the sensation of pain. During the endodontic root canal procedure, the tooth’s nerve is removed, along with the pulp in each canal of the tooth. Each canal is cleaned with endodontic technologies, filled, and sealed.
After the root canal is complete, the patient will take some time to heal at home before returning to their dentist to complete their treatment plan. Usually, a crown or cap is placed over the treated tooth.
If you need a root canal evaluation for tooth pain, please call us at (770) 939-6760 or request an appointment using our online form.