No matter what technical advancements are made in the dental industry, dentists still need to use a drill for a number of their procedures. For this reason, most people become anxious when they have a root canal appointment, as they are petrified of the pain. The good news is that the drills that are used now are designed for maximum effectiveness with minimal invasiveness. More often than not, the pain you are anxious about will be due to the recovery rather than the procedure itself. To become more at ease with the prospect of a root canal, you should know the steps that are involved. Hopefully this can put to rest any misgivings that you may have.

Dental prep

The first step toward a root canal is the preparation done prior to the treatment. This comprises of the dentist taking x-rays of your teeth to establish the extent of damage that is being dealt with. Once this is done, the dentist will administer a local anesthetic to numb the area in question.

Removal of the pulp

The dentist will then insert a dental dam in your mouth to collect the saliva that will pool in your mouth during the procedure. The dental dam also prohibits you from swallowing any chemicals that may come into contact with your mouth. Once this is in place, the dentist will then start off by removing your tooth's crown so as to access the pulp. All infected pulp will be extracted. Depending on the severity of the damage, an abscess may have formed in your tooth and this will have to be drained.

Cleaning of the tooth

After all the pulp has been removed, the dentist will then enlarge the root canal. Making this area larger facilitates the process of filling the tooth. This step of the procedure tends to take a while, as the dentist will use files to enlarge the area. If you require more than one root canal, then you may need to set up multiple appointments with your care provider. If you will be coming in for a subsequent appointment, the dentist will fill the area with an antibacterial treatment and some cotton.

Sealing and crown placement

Once the root canal has been appropriately enlarged, the permanent filling is inserted to ensure the tooth is sealed. This is to avoid any re-infection. The procedure is then concluded by the placement of a crown, which works to protect the tooth from further damage. The crown is glued in place and trimmed to size using cement.

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