What Is Endodontic Therapy?
By Family Dental | Published on October 14, 2010 | 0 Comments
Endodontic therapy is the medical term for a root canal, which millions of people across the country get each year. Although the idea of a root canal may strike fear into the hearts of many, the reality is that endodontic therapy is a relatively common procedure that dentists perform on patients of all ages each day.
Thanks to advancements in sedation techniques, root canals have become relatively pain-free procedures that require minimal recovery periods. Nonetheless, they are almost always avoidable if patients take proper care of their teeth and make sure to visit the dentist at least once every six months.
According to the experts at Family Dental in San Mateo, California, a dentist can generally perform a root canal without interfering with any cosmetic work that has already been done. That means that patients with amalgam fillings or porcelain crowns on non-affected teeth do not have to worry about their previous dental work being disturbed during the root canal procedure.
For patients, the first sign that something is awry—and that a root canal may be necessary—is generally a small pain in the mouth. This pain can usually be centralized down to one tooth.
From the dentist’s perspective, endodontic therapy is a procedure in which he or she will need to go into the patient’s affected tooth and remove the nerve. This is a much more serious procedure than just getting a basic cavity filled.
In most cases, a basic root canal procedure involves the dentist creating a hole inside the patient’s infected tooth and then using that hole as an access point to go in and remove the nerve inside. Once the dentist has gone into the tooth and taken the nerve out, he or she will generally put in a filler or sealer to fill the tooth and prevent any other infectious materials from getting in. At that point, the patient should be pain-free and ready to go.
Root canals can generally be avoided if patients continue coming in for their semi-annual checkups. Root canals usually become necessary once a patient has put off treatment for so long that the cavity has entered the inside of the tooth and gone into the chamber where the nerve sits. At that point, the only thing that a dentist can do to prevent pain is to create a hole in the tooth and remove the nerve inside.
Unfortunately, in today’s difficult economic times, many families are choosing to cut costs by skimping on dental care. The reality, however, is that skipping one or two semi-annual checkups can put people at greater risk for needing serious, and likely expensive, procedures like root canals down the road.
Although endodontic therapy carries the reputation of being a scary, painful procedure, the reality is that when done in a professional setting with an experienced dentist, it can be a relatively straightforward process that people should have no reason to fear.
*Disclaimer: The information on this website is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.