How Does a Root Canal Work?

The root canal process is surrounded by significant misunderstandings and misconceptions. In honor of Root Canal Awareness Week this month, it’s a great time to explain exactly how the root canal process works and why it really isn’t something to dread!

The Process

Your root canal process begins with a local anesthesia that thoroughly numbs your mouth and prevents you from feeling any pain. This is great news for many people who expect to experience significant pain during the root canal experience. Once the anesthesia has been applied, a rubber dam is applied to the tooth to keep saliva from infiltrating the area.

Then the actual root canal begins with a hole drilled into the tooth. All of the tooth’s pulp, including the decayed and infected nerve tissue and debris inside, is removed from the tooth through that hole. Your endodontist will thoroughly clean the inside of your tooth to ensure than all infected matter has been eliminated, then fill the canal with gutta-percha to replace the original nerve tissue. A dental filling is used to seal your tooth, and by the end of the procedure, your tooth looks healthier than it did to start.

Why Undergo a Root Canal?

When your tooth becomes deeply compromised by infection and decay, it impacts your tooth’s interior nerve tissue and pulp. As bacteria multiplies within the pulp chamber and increases the amount of infection in your mouth, many unpleasant and painful side effects occur. An abscess, for example, is a pus-filled pocket that can lead to swelling, jaw bone loss, and drainage problems.  

A root canal is the most direct and efficient way to remove all of this infection while still allowing you to maintain your natural tooth. Most people would must rather undergo a root canal to keep a natural tooth than have the tooth extracted and require dentures or an implant. To begin your own root canal process, call Citrus Endodontics in Tampa, Florida at (813) 374-2290 or (813) 570-6887. The expert team at Citrus Endodontics will save and restore your damaged tooth without causing you any pain or discomfort.