Dental anxiety is real. It doesn’t affect everyone, and it doesn’t affect everyone the same way. But we have learned that two words — root canal — can cause anxiety to a lot of patients.
We wish this wasn’t the case. We certainly do everything that we can to make root canal treatments as painless as possible at our Acworth, GA, dentist office. Nevertheless, we have learned that there all kinds of misunderstandings about root canals out there.
Today, our team at Mountain View Dental wants you to know the benefits of having a root canal treatment.
To make an appointment for this or any other restorative dental service, contact us online or call (770) 429-8989.
What Is A Root Canal?
From an anatomical point of view, root canals are openings in the roots of your teeth. These openings are where blood vessels and nerves enter your tooth.
The canal connects to the pulp chamber at the center of your tooth. Pulp is a soft connective tissue. It plays a role in creating dentin, which is the layer beneath the enamel on the outside if your teeth.
Pulp is present both in the pulp chamber and the root canal of each tooth.
Root canal treatments become necessary when bacteria reaches the pulp. The infection can cause the pulp to become inflamed and create pain. Teeth can become infected in a variety of ways, but tooth decay, gum disease, and injuries that cause broken teeth are among the most common causes.
A root canal treatment is a way to remove the pulp, blood vessels, and nerves from an infected tooth.
When Should You Get A Root Canal Treatment?
You should call Mountain View Dental any time you are feeling pain in your teeth. Teeth are not supposed to cause you pain. If they are, then something is wrong.
You may need a root canal if you are experiencing one or more of the following symptoms:
▪︎ Pain while biting or chewing
▪︎ Increased sensitivity to hot and cold foods and drinks
▪︎ Lingering pain in a tooth
▪︎ Darkening of a tooth
▪︎ Swollen or tender gums
▪︎ A pimple-like bump on your gums
In some cases, the symptom can come on slowly. In other cases, the symptoms may hit you all of a sudden. The important thing to remember is to seek a root canal treatment as early as possible.
You can do this call contacting us online to make an appointment.
What Do People Misunderstand About Root Canals?
Misconceptions about root canal treatments cause many people to put off a treatment until they are in so much pain they can stand it any longer.
For your sake, please call Mountain View Dental at the first signs of a possible problem. We can keep your pain to a minimum if you visit us as soon as you notice something is wrong.
With that in mind, we encourage you to consider the following mistakes that many people believe when it comes to root canal treatments.
▸ Mistake #1: A root canal treatment will hurt.
This may be the most persistent myth about root canals. Maybe you heard a story about someone who had a bad experience. Maybe you saw something in movie or television show that convinced you that root canals were unbearable.
Root canal treatments are done to alleviate pain. At Mountain View Dental, we can do many things to make sure you are pain-free during the procedure.
At a minimum, you will receive a local anesthetic to numb the infected tooth and the surrounding gum tissues. Many patients also receive sedation dentistry. This will assure that you don’t feel anything during the treatment.
▸ Mistake #2: A root canal treatment will make you sick.
If anything, the opposite is true. By having a root canal procedure, you are removing infected pulp, blood vessels, and nerves as well as the bacteria that caused the infection.
▸ Mistake #3: You should remove your tooth instead of having a root canal treatment.
While there are times when removing a tooth is necessary, our dentists would much rather find a way to save your tooth is possible.
Removing a tooth that could be saved really could increase your risk of an infection. We already know that bacteria live inside our mouths. Removing a tooth can allow bacteria to reach different parts of our mouths.
A root canal treatment removes and active infection and seals and protects the tooth against a recurring infection.
End Your Pain With A Root Canal Treatment
Don’t let your toothache or tooth sensitivity issues get worse. Schedule a root canal treatment at our Acworth, GA, dentist office instead.
You can request an appointment anytime with our online contact form or by calling (770) 429-8989.
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