We’ve all felt it— that mildly unpleasant to intense pain when we eat something or drink something and a tooth in our mouth reacts. Hot or cold foods or beverages can trigger this reaction and it is not a pain we want to live with. When you experience pain of this nature it means the root of the tooth is sensitive—probably it is being affected by tooth decay and bacteria.
A trip to the dentist might take care of it but in some cases your dentist will recommend seeing an endodontist—a root canal specialist. These specialists work on the inside of the teeth and the roots—having taken an additional two or three years of training beyond dental school. Root canal procedures and tooth replacement can be challenging and a bit complicated and so the additional training enables them to do the absolute best job when a root canal is needed.
Some patients report excruciating pain because the tooth and roots are badly infected and in this case a root canal must be done to resolve the problem. A root canal involves removing the infected pulp inside the tooth and cleaning it out as well as cleaning out the root canals themselves to get all the decayed matter out. A filler is then used and the teeth are sealed. This has actually become a painless procedure due to advancements in methods and technologies. Endodontists perform such a high volume of root canals that they are able to do them quickly and with minimal pain and discomfort for the patient.
Anastesia has improved as well and so if you have feared root canals in the past, you can relax knowing that they aren’t near as uncomfortable as they were years ago. Patients often report that they are surprised at how minimal the pain and discomfort is when they receive a root canal today. And technology continues to advance to help reduce tooth pain. Remember the goal of a root canal is to save the natural tooth, which is always to the patient’s advantage. Nothing man makes is as good as or as durable as natural teeth. These new advancements utilized by endodontists allow more people to keep their natural teeth as opposed to having a decayed tooth extracted.
You may think that ‘painless root canal’ is an oxymoron. But the reality is that new equipment and techniques will enable painless procedures in most cases and the improvements in the sealers and adhesives used mean better, longer lasting results. In most cases a root canal takes just one visit to the dentist or endodontist and is less expensive than it used to be. The failure rate is extremely low and patients should not avoid this procedure—there’s no reason to live with tooth pain.