Root Canal Treatment

Top 10 most commonly asked questions about Root Canal Treatment or RCT

As a dentist, I am often asked a lot of questions about RCT and I am trying to answer the most common ones here in this blog post today . The very first question is usually about what exactly is RCT treatment?

The top 10 questions are as follows:-

1. What is a Root Canal Treatment, RCT?

A root canal treatment is a very common dental treatment for repairing damaged and diseased root canal inside a tooth. This RCT dental treatment aims to repair tooth by fighting infections within the soft, dental pulp and/or on the tooth. A dentist will essentially remove the infected or inflamed pulp from a tooth and clean the canals, filling them with a replacement agent that works to prevent further infection and then seal the tooth with filling agent and laser.

2. Is a Root Canal Treatment a painful procedure?

In this day and age, with a range of high tech technology and anaesthesias available, no dental treatment is as painful as before. An experienced clinic with a range of anaesthetics and pain-relieving agents often make this as painful as a pin prick only!

Most of the times the patients do not feel any pain during a root canal treatment, which means the procedure can be pain-free. At Partha Dental, we make sure you’re as comfortable as possible throughout the whole procedure with minimum discomfort.

3. Why Would I Need a Root Canal Treatment at all?

Root canals are needed when the dental pulp or root canal of a tooth becomes infected or decayed beyond repair and this is established after a tooth x-ray. As a result, the tooth can also die off, leaving the entire jaw line in a weakened state. This usually occurs when teeth are not kept clean and bacteria in the mouth gets into the tooth and infects the pulp or cavities are left untreated.

4. How Will I Know If I Really Need a Root Canal Treatment or RCT?

A dentist is the only person who can truly advise you about whether or not a root canal is needed to save a tooth. Although each patient is different, some generic symptoms that require RCT are as follows. These symptoms show that the tooth pulp is diseased, these are / include the following:

·       Continuous pain in the teeth, gums or jaw

·       Over-sensitivity to hot or cold foods and drinks

·       Loose tooth and/or swollen or inflamed gums

·       Evidence of pus around the teeth or gums

If you experience any of these symptoms, you should book an appointment with Partha Dental immediately as the more you delay , the more you will pay to save the tooth and the more extended will be the procedure.

5. What is a Crown?

A crown is like a ‘cap’ or a ‘cover’ that fits over the top of a tooth to protect it from breaking, cracking, chipping or splitting. In many cases, a tooth that receives a root canal treatment will often require a crown as well. This is because without the root, the tooth will be weaker and will hence need a crown to keep it strong and durable.

6. What If I Decide to Not Have a Root Canal Treatment?

If an infected tooth root is not treated, it can lead to more severe problems with the tooth, gums and jaw bone. If this occurs, a tooth extraction, along with other surgical treatments, may be needed, ruining the entire mouth and jaw line . A root canal treatment is performed to essentially save a tooth.

7. Won’t It Be Easier to Extract the Tooth?

Tooth extraction is considered a last resort if a root canal treatment is not feasible. In most cases, a tooth will only be extracted if it is beyond repair.RCT is a much cheaper and easier treatment than getting a tooth extracted and then getting an artificial one.

8. Will the Treated RCT Tooth Last Long?

Root canals are known as one of the best ways to preserve infected teeth. If you employ good oral hygiene practices, a treated tooth or teeth should last a long time and many can last for the remainder of a life. Most people only get an RCT done once and it stays !

9. What Will My Tooth Be Like After a Root Canal?

After a root canal treatment (and a crown fitting, if you need one), a tooth/teeth and gums should function as normal and you shouldn’t notice any differences in the feeling or performance of an RCT tooth versus your NATURAL teeth.

10. What Can I Do to Avoid Needing a Root Canal?

Root canal diseases are often the result of poor oral hygiene and failure to meet regularly with a dentist. To lower a risk, you should brush and floss teeth twice a day, use a daily mouthwash and visit a dentist at least once every 6 months for a DENTAL checkup.

If you are experiencing any issues with a teeth, our friendly dentists are ALWAYS AVAILABLE at Partha Dental, with quick appointments facility available for patients with severe tooth pain or problems.