Think of a dentist and most people will flinch remembering tooth pain! Root canal treatment is a routine procedure that is performed by a dentist or an endodontist to relieve tooth pain and save your decayed tooth. Before we understand what and how a root canal is done, we must first understand the structure of a tooth.

Structure of a Tooth

Each tooth is made up of a crown(that is visible in the mouth) and a root(which fixes the tooth in the jaw bone). The crown is made up of three layers– the outermost enamel, middle dentine and innermost pulp. The outermost layer of the root is called the cementum.

The pulp contains blood vessels and nerve fibres that elicit pain and pressure. These nerve fibres extend into the dentine as well giving rise to sensitivity that you feel when you consume cold or hot foods. The pulp is present both in the crown of the tooth as well as the root. The pulp in the root exists in narrow canals called the root canal and so, the procedure of cleaning and filling these canals is called a root canal procedure.

When there is tooth decay, it first begins in the enamel and then extends inwards towards the dentine and finally reaches the pulp. When it reaches the pulp, it causes tooth pain. It is in this case that a root canal treatment is recommended.

When is a Root canal Treatment Recommended?

Here are a few signs and symptoms that might indicate you need a root canal treatment:

• Toothache that increases on eating, chewing or consuming hot foods
• A tooth ache that increases on lying down
• A small ulcer or boil that erupts on the gums in relation to a tooth
• A cracked or chipped tooth that causes pain
• Trauma or injury to a tooth, with subsequent discolouration of the tooth
• Swelling and tenderness in the gums around a tooth
• Dark deep decay that has causes extensive damage to the tooth structure

If you have one or more of these signs, your dentist will recommend you to get a root canal treatment done.

How is a Root Canal Procedure Done?

A root canal procedure may sound very daunting and scary but is a routine procedure done by dentists. Here’s how a root canal procedure is done:

• Before beginning the procedure, your dentist will take an x-ray of the tooth.
• Your dentist will decide whether your tooth needs to be numbed or not based on the signs and symptoms.
• If your tooth needs to be numbed, your dentist will inject local anaesthesia before beginning the procedure.
• Next, all the decayed portion of the tooth is removed and the tooth is cleaned to have better view and access to the pulp.
• The dentist then makes a clear-line access into the pulp, which exists in narrow canals in the root of the tooth and is infected.
• Your dentist will use tiny instruments to clean the infected canals, remove all the infected pulp and shape them.
• These shaped canals are prepared to accept inert, biocompatible, rubber-like material which are used to plug them.
• Once the canals are cleaned, shaped and sealed, your dentist will place a permanent filling in the crown portion of your tooth and place a cap on the same.

A root canal treatment usually takes 2-3 sittings depending upon the infection surrounding a tooth. One-sitting root canals are also done at Sabka Dentist clinics if there is an indication to do so.

If you are worried about pain associated with root canals or are wondering what the root canal treatment cost is, you need not worry. Root canal treatments at Sabka Dentist clinics are performed with minimum discomfort and at very affordable rates. Do not delay your dental treatments and visit your nearest Sabka Dentist Clinic today!