Root Canal Treatment (RCT)

Yes. You can prevent a root canal treatment by visiting a dentist at the right time.

Yes. Definitely. The cap protects the inner tooth from the chewing forces. If you don’t place a cap after your root canal treatment, the tooth can break, chip, there can be re-infection and the treatment will be unsuccessful.

Only the first sitting appointment can be painful but The treatment is done under local anesthesia and medications including painkillers so there is nothing to worry and your dentist takes care of it all.

Delaying the treatment will make cost you even more. As delaying the treatment will only leave you with an option of tooth extraction and replacing it is even more expensive. EMI and dental insurance plans are also available. But remember dentistry is not expensive , neglecting the treatment is expensive.

It really isn’t in your hands. whether you need a root canal or extraction depends on your case. But if you are given an option, root canal treatment is anytime better as you save your tooth that way, than getting it extracted.

Enamel and dentin are hard tissues. When a decay is within the limits of these hard tissues, we can simply ‘seal’ them. But our pulp is soft and has nerves and vessels. When a decay reaches the pulp, these nerves and vessels are affected and will result in severe pain. Hence the pulp should be treated.

After analyzing the x-ray image, your dentist will numb your tooth with local anesthetic and then remove all the decayed parts including the pulp and clean the pulp cavity using some medications.

Depending on the extent of your infection, Root canal treatment may be completed in a single visit or in multiple visits. If the infection is comparatively big, your dentist will apply some medication and will give you another appointment after 2-5 days to complete the treatment, after giving medications to eat to reduce the infection.

In the next appointment, if the infection has subsided, the pulp cavity is cleaned and a material is inserted to fill the pulp cavity. Some more x-ray images will be taken in between. The material is then sealed and a temporary filling is set on top of that material.

The tooth is cut into a smaller size and its measurement is taken, to make an artificial tooth crown to sit on top of this tooth. This is very important, as your tooth may be weak due to the cleaning of the pulp cavity from inside and may break and cause infection if the crown is not placed.

The crown can be of different types and it may be fixed within 2-10 days. Meanwhile, A temporary crown will be fixed till the original crown is ready.

Avoid hard food for a few days. Try to eat semi-solid food. Alcohol should be avoided. Eggs, oats porridge, soft salads, soups, milk, soft fruits, etc. are good options.  Even if you eat a little hard food, avoid chewing with that temporary crown as it may fracture or fall off.

If you feel pain when you are unable to visit the dentist, you can try a few home remedies for TEMPORARY RELIEF. Never skip a visit even if your pain subsides, as these don’t eliminate the cause of the pain.
Try applying 1-2 drops of clove oil in a cotton ball and placing it on the affected tooth, salt water gargle, elevating your head while sleeping by using 2-3 pillows, etc. Check out our blog on “Home remedies for tooth pain” for details.

 
If you opt to remove a tooth due to pain, if it is a front tooth, chances are that it will impair your confidence ( just imagine smiling without a front tooth). Even if it is a back tooth, your cheek may look sunken and will make your face look older. Further,  the opposing tooth will move out towards the missing tooth.

If you intend to replace your missing tooth later, you definitely can. But a root canal treated tooth is better than an artificial tooth.

Please note that all teeth cannot be root canal treated. If the damage to the tooth is severe to such an extend that it cannot be repaired,  extraction is the only solution. If you have a doubt whether your tooth can be root canal treated, or any other doubts, feel free to contact Dentaldost. Just scan your mouth and wait for some time. Our expert team will guide you after checking your dental reports within minutes.