Toothaches Come and Go. Should I See a Dentist?

Are you ready for a root canal treatment in Houston?

That seems to be a question for anyone who may need one. They try to psych themselves up in anticipation for an uncomfortable experience, hoping that maybe in biding their time the pain will go away.

The truth is, while the pain may go away, it doesn’t mean the damage does. And getting a root canal treatment in Houston is not something to be feared.

Modern medicine has come a long way and with techniques like sedation dentistry and tools like fine tipped drills, the whole process can be pain free.

But the Pain is Gone... Do I still Need to See a Dentist?

Many people think that once a toothache has gone their teeth are fine and they can go on as normal.

In the case of root canal issues, that’s not true. The initial pain you are feeling is the damage being done to the dental pulp, which is a sensitive material carrying the blood vessels and nerves of your teeth.

When the pain goes away, it doesn’t mean your teeth are better. It means that the dental pulp is dead and the nerves no longer work.

It also means that the inside of your tooth is weaker since it doesn’t have the dental pulp to fill it. This can make it more easily fractured.

What’s worse is the abscess created by the dental pulp infection could spread the infection further.

Gum disease could stem from the abscess affecting your gums, and that can lead to tooth loss and bone infections.

What Happens During a Root Canal Procedure in Houston?

When you visit your dentist in the Memorial area, you will first get a visual evaluation and an x-ray to determine the extent of the root canal damage.

The x-ray imaging will show all of the damaged roots and pinpoint the location of any abscesses. Once that is ready, your dentist can begin work on removing the damaged material and abscesses.

Next, you may undergo sedation dentistry to reduce or nullify any discomfort during the removal process.

After that, the dentist will begin drilling into the top of the affected tooth and clearing away all of the damaged dental pulp.

Your dentist wants to preserve as much of the good pulp as possible, so any roots that have not been damaged by decay will be left alone.

Once all of the damaged pulp and abscesses have been removed, the dentist will use gutta-percha, which is a rubber like compound, to fill in the roots that have been cleared out.

On top of that, the rest of the tooth, from the pulp chamber up through the crown, will be filled with a standard filling (the material of which may vary based on availability, allergies, cost, and personal preference).

Don’t Delay; See a Houston Dentist Today

Dental procedures are not as scary as many perceive. Some procedures may be more unpleasant than others, even with sedation, but the results of oral issues can be far worse.

Visit the best dentist in Houston centrally located in the 77057 area for an evaluation, cleaning, and a dental procedure that will leave you smiling.

Thanks to Modern Medicine, Root Canal Treatments are No Big Deal

While it is of course best to preserve teeth so they don’t suffer from decay or infection, it can get the best of us at times. Restoring and preserving teeth can be just as important, and a root canal treatment in Houston could be just the thing to save your teeth from being lost entirely.

What to Watch For

Most people will be unaware that they need a root canal treatment unless symptoms are apparent and bothersome enough to get checked at a dentist. Regular visits to the dentist every 6 months can show early signs that a root canal may be necessary or avoided entirely.

But when the pain gets too bad, a checkup is definitely in order. Main symptoms for needing a root canal treatment include:

●     Tenderness when chewing or touching a tooth

●     General pain, even when nothing is touching the tooth

●     Increased sensitivity to hot and cold temperatures, like coffee or ice cream

●     Swelling of the gums around a tooth

●     Drainage of pus

It is also possible that no symptoms could be apparent. That’s why proactive checkups are so important.

Saving Teeth, One Root at a Time

The primary purpose of root canal treatments, beyond stopping pain, is to preserve as much of your natural tooth as possible.

A root canal cleans out the inside of a tooth rather than removing it completely, so if you’re worried about cost or personal appearance, you can rest easy knowing it will look natural and be affordable.

Root canals are not unlike getting a filling. You’re Memorial / Galleria dentist drills into the tooth to reach the pulp chamber where the infected pulp is removed from the chamber down through the roots of the teeth.

Once the infected tissue is gone, the tooth is filled with gutta-percha (a rubber compound) and a standard filling, which can be made from

●     Gold or Silver Amalgam

●     Porcelain

●     Resin

Personal Appearance and Durability

The fillings used for root canal treatments can be tailored to match your teeth so they look more natural, or they can be tailored for durability and strength.

Fillings made from metal are more durable, but they will be more noticeable. These kinds of fillings are more apt for the rear teeth, as they are not as noticeable and they also must withstand greater bite pressure.

Front teeth are more suited to porcelain or resin fillings, as they look more natural, but they aren’t as durable as metal fillings. These teeth aren’t subjected to quite the same pressures as back teeth, so it’s still a promising solution.

During and After a Root Canal Treatment

Sedation dentistry is a powerful tool that allows dentists to perform a lot of work in a shorter amount of time. Whether it’s through nitrous oxide (laughing) gas or an IVsedative, sedation dentistry calms patients and keeps them from moving a lot during a procedure.

A kids dentist who uses sedation dentistry must be certified to utilize it, following many rigorous tests and knowledge courses. Regardless of who gets sedation dentistry, it is precisely balanced continuously throughout the procedure.

After the procedure is complete, it can take a few hours for the effects of sedation to wear off, but the most common side effect experienced is tiredness. Once it wears off, everything will be back to normal.

You may also want to wait until the tooth is fully recovered from the procedure before biting down on anything, however.

7 Steps for a Root Canal Treatment in Houston

When an infection strikes deep within a tooth, reaching all the way down the root canals and into the gums, it can become very painful. You may notice a lot of swelling around an infected tooth that is tender to the touch.

When this situation occurs, a root canal treatment is the best option in Houston.

Endodontic Therapy in Houston

Endodontic therapy, commonly known as a root canal treatment, is a specialized procedure that seeks to remove infected and inflamed dental pulp from the inside of a damaged tooth.

The pulp usually becomes infected as a result of an injury or decay, with decay being the most prominent cause.

1.    A local anesthetic is administered to numb the tooth and surrounding area. Sedation dentistry may also be used to keep the patient calm and relaxed.

2.    The center area atop the tooth is drilled to open up the tooth’s core.

3.    An endodontic file removes the infected dental pulp and tissue. If there is an abscess, the file will also remove it.

4.    Once the damage pulp is cleared and abscess removed, the file is used to shape the canals for filling.

5.    A rubber compound called gutta-percha is used to fill the roots of the tooth. This compound will prevent future contamination and infections.

6.    The pulp chamber and crown of the tooth are then filled as if it were just a typical cavity.

7.    In some cases, a crown may be fashioned and placed atop the tooth.

Benefits of a Root Canal Treatment

A root canal treatment has some distinct advantages over extracting and replacing a tooth.

One factor many people consider is cost. It costs significantly less to perform a root canal that to get a bridge. If no crown needs to be fashioned, it will also take less time.

Beyond the cost aspect, there are other reasons to get a root canal treatment:

●     Much of the original tooth is preserved

●     Chewing remains normal

●     Bite force and sensation do not change

●     Depending on the filling choice, the end result can look like natural teeth

●     Since root canals preserve much of the original tooth, they won’t cause extra wear on adjacent teeth like bridges might.

What Happens for a Root Canal Treatment?

            “Root canal” are two words most people never want to hear close together. Unfortunately for some, it’s the best course of action to save one’s teeth; possibly even their whole mouth. Houston root canal treatments are necessary when a tooth has become badly infected due to decay or injury and the dental pulp inside has become home to nasty bacteria. The treatment replaces the dental pulp to prevent the infection from spreading.

            Pulp

            The dental pulp is the spongy part on the inside of your teeth that supplies blood and houses the nerve cells for your teeth. This part of the tooth is very vulnerable if it ever becomes exposed due to damaged or decayed teeth. When you get a toothache, the pulp is the part that you can feel hurting, which is why it seems like nothing you due alleviates the pain.

            The pulp itself resides in the pulp chamber, which is a hollow section of your tooth with tunnels the lead to the roots (pointed underside of your teeth). When an infection takes over your tooth, all of the pulp, from the pulp chamber in the center down to the roots can become a haven for bacteria. If the bacteria isn’t stopped soon enough, it can seep into the gums and eventually your jawbone.

            Root Canal Treatment

            Getting a root canal treatment in Houston is a pretty straightforward procedure. It could possibly take several visits, depending on the severity, however. The procedure starts out with an x-ray of the affected tooth. This helps the endodontist determine how far the infection has spread.

            Once the extent has been determined, the endodontist will use a local anesthetic to numb the tooth and the area around it. The nerves inside the pulp are pretty dead by this point, so it’s unlikely you’d feel anything anyway, but the anesthetic minimizes that chance and helps relax you. Next, a small hole is opened up at the top of the tooth.

            The dentist uses a powered file to wear away the damaged pulp and bacteria, cleaning out all the infected areas of the pulp chamber and roots. Using the x-ray images as a guide, your Houston dentist will get rid of all the bacteria she can find within the tooth. Sometimes, an infected section may not show up on the x-ray, and could require a future visit to address, but most times all of the damaged pulp is removed on the first visit.

            Once the pulp has been removed, the tooth is filled with gutta-percha, which is a rubber compound, along with a standard filling of silver, gold, porcelain, or resin. You won’t feel any pain in that tooth anymore, but it’s probably best to wait the recommended time before you begin chewing or biting with that tooth again.