How Root Canal Therapy Reduces Dental Pain
When a tooth becomes infected, a person runs the risk of numerous dental health and general health issues. For one, the infected tooth itself can be the source of severe pain. If the infection gets worse, it can lead to problems with the surround gum, tooth, and bone tissue of the mouth. An oral abscess may form, which is a collection of pus. If the abscess bursts, major health problems may occur.
This is why it's so important to seek root canal treatment (endodontic therapy) at our Kansas City practice if you have an infected tooth. Root canal therapy is the most common and most ideal treatment option for these kinds of issues. It saves a tooth from extraction and prevents further spread of infection. Of course, there is the issue of pain to consider, which we'd like to cover in this post.
Pain Relief from Root Canal Therapy
When a patient undergoes a root canal treatment, the infected dental pulp is removed and the pulp chamber within the tooth is sterilized. This addressed the painful infection and removes the bacteria from the insides of the tooth. The hollow chamber is filled with a strong, inert material, and the tooth itself is capped with a crown. This restores a person's ability to bite and chew again as normal.
Following a root canal, patients will no longer have to deal with the pain and dangers associated with an infected tooth.
How Painful Is Root Canal Therapy?
While root canal therapy relieves pain and improves dental health, discomfort is a common side effect after the procedure. The tooth is effectively saved but dead, and the body's response to treatment is pain.
Keep in mind that while root canal therapy results in some pain, it is nowhere near as bad as the pain associated with a root canal infection.
Preventing Discomfort During Root Canal Therapy
Modern advances in anesthetic and dental treatments have reduced the amount of pain that patients feel during a root canal. To further reduce anxiety and discomfort, a patient may have the option to be sedated during the procedure, which means the treatment is performed with the patient in a completely tranquil state.
Managing Pain After a Root Canal
Thankfully the pain after a root canal is temporary and can be managed. After a root canal, patients can use prescription pain killers as directed to prevent severe discomfort. Over-the-counter pain medication can then be used as needed after the first few days to address any linger pain.
In addition, patients will be asked to eat soft foods, and to avoid getting food near the treated tooth when possible. The foods and beverages ingested after a root canal should be at room temperature to help prevent problems with tooth sensitivity after treatment. Hot, cold, and spicy items should be avoided. These are just common sense ways to keep the treated tooth sanitary and free from anything that may cause discomfort.
Contact John P. Goodman DDS
To learn more about root canal therapy and how it can help address serious bouts of dental pain associated with an infected tooth, be sure to contact an experienced cosmetic and restorative dentist. We will work with you and provide the right treatment to address your dental health issues.