Root Canal Procedure

Question 1

Signs that signify the need for a root canal include:

Answer 1

Pain, either from touch or sensation
Prolonged sensitivity to heat or cold
Severe discoloration of the tooth
Swelling
Tenderness
It’s necessary to visit a root canal dentist when you have deep decay from inflammation or infection within your teeth. If the inflammation or infection continues too long without treatment, it can cause pain, lead to an abscess and eventually result in tooth loss. A root canal specialist recommends the best plan for you and your oral health.

Question 2

Common Questions

Answer 2

To be honest, root canal treatments are no fun; however, they’re now common and nearly painless. Your family dentist, open on Saturday, has extensive experience to get you through the root canal with little or no pain or side effects. One of the most common questions asked about root canals is: “How long does a root canal take?” For most cases, the treatment can take anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour. After the procedure, your tooth won’t be sensitive to heat or cold, but the area around the tooth may be sore for a few days.

Often, people worry needlessly about possible pain during the procedure or pain after root canal. The pain you feel is from the infection; the root canal procedure itself is painless. A local anesthetic is used to numb the tooth and surrounding area. Your root canal specialist may offer sedation dentistry to make the procedure even more comfortable for you.

Question 3

Before the Root Canal Procedure

Answer 3

Prior to your root canal procedure, your top Yonkers dentist may prescribe antibiotics for the infection. The antibiotics take four to five weeks to work and lessen the severity of the infection. Once you find out that you need a root canal, the procedure must happen as soon as possible because the infection can get worse.

Get plenty of rest before the procedure. Be sure to eat something beforehand as well — you’re going to be in the dentist chair for up to an hour, and your teeth may be sensitive after the procedure. There’s nothing to be anxious about; you’re in the hands of a root canal specialist. The procedure relieves the pain that’s caused by the infection.

Question 4

After the Root Canal Procedure

Answer 4

Typically, you shouldn’t feel any pain after a root canal procedure. Tenderness can occur in your jaw from being open for a long time during the treatment, and the area of the root canal is going to be sensitive. Follow the instructions of your root canal specialist to ensure the best root canal recovery.

Locating a dentist open Sunday or a dentist open Saturday is important to the healing process in case you run into an emergency. Going to a Saturday dentist or a Sunday dentist helps ease your healing process to give you the day to rest if needed. And you don’t have to take time off work or school to undergo the root canal treatment. Postponing the procedure can have serious consequences.

Question 5

Root Canal Infection

Answer 5

It’s not common to pick up an infection after a root canal treatment, but it is possible. Root canal infections can develop anywhere from a week to even a decade after a root canal procedure has been performed. Reasons why an infection may occur include:

The canal was left uncleaned because the tooth had a severe number of infections that weren’t seen.
There was an undetected crack in the tooth’s root.
Bacteria got in during the procedure and recreated an infection.
The crown placed over the tooth breaks down over time and allows bacteria to re-enter and contaminate the tooth.