If you have a severely damaged tooth, it becomes necessary to undergo the root canal treatment. However, that suggestion ought to be made by a dentist after examining the teeth. The dentist will carry out an X-ray of the teeth to find the level of damage. If root canal treatment is recommended perhaps, you will want to know the processes involved. Below is a systematic process of root canal treatment.
Assessment of the infection
The dentist will begin by examining the affected teeth or tooth cautiously. The dentists will prefer to use this treatment when no other procedure is capable of treating the damages. The damaging of the root will cause inflammation or infection of the tooth. For the root to be affected, the infection or the damages will be quite deep.
Access to the root
After being convinced the tooth must undergo this treatment process, the dentist will look for a way of accessing the root of the tooth. First, he/she will begin by numbing the tooth. This is because root canal therapy is painful when it is not done under anesthesia. After the tooth is numb, the dentist will drill a route that will enable him/her to get to the root.
Removal of infected of infected tissue
After drilling a hole into the tooth, the dentist will start the cleaning process. The specialist will use special equipment to clean out the infected parts out of the root canal. After completing the cleaning procedure, the canals are re-shaped. For effectual cleaning and removal of debris, irrigation is used. This is done to prepare for the re-filling process.
Filling of the canals
After the canals are clean and empty of debris, the next procedure is the filling process. The filling procedure is necessary for the support of the tooth. This also helps in prevention of further infection of the tooth. The dentists use a permanent material to fill the tooth. The material commonly used for the filling process is called gutta-percha.
Rebuilding the tooth
When the dentist has completed filling the tooth with the gutta-percha, he will seal it with a temporary material. A temporary material is used because the tooth is supposed to be covered by a crown. When a suitable crown is found, the temporary filling material will be removed. The crown looks exactly like the covering of the tooth. It will be positioned on the top of the tooth.
Extra support
If the tooth had encountered serious damage, it might need support. When extra support is needed, the dentist will reinforce the tooth with a post on the gutta-percha. The post will give the crown more support and it will be able to be positioned properly. However, it is advisable to know the decision of the dentist about adding extra support to the crown.