Root Of The Problem!
There is a particular fear in the minds of the majority when it comes to root canal treatments. I have always wondered why this is so; as in all practicality the only dental procedure which, in my opinion, is worthy of getting spooked is the tooth extraction as it actually involves a somewhat invasive procedure when compared to all others. Somehow the mere thought of undergoing a root canal therapy, seem to be more dreaded. Even though some may not have undergone one it holds the top spot in their -“most painful and avoided” list! Are root canal treatments really painful procedures? The answer is – ‘No! They are not. Root canals are usually performed under local anesthesia, which means you will not feel anything during the procedure. So the maximum pain felt will be no more than a needle prick at the time of administration of the local anesthesia, roughly about the same if not less painful whenever you take a shot.
What exactly is involved in a root canal procedure? Every tooth encloses with in it a central chamber. This is sort of like the tooth’s very own heart. This central chamber is situated in the crown portions of the tooth. The central chamber houses the tooth’s blood & nerve supply and other cellular elements (collectively called as the “Pulp”). The primary function of the pulp is to maintain the tooth’s vitality and help in sensory mechanism. The blood vessels and the nerves, which constitute the pulp enter through the root portions and exit through the same. These channels in the root portions are called the root canals. Each tooth has a definite morphology & the numbers of roots present are different for each tooth. Depending on the tooth and its anatomic morphology there may be one, two, three, four, or even more number of root canals. So when tooth decay affects the pulp chamber, the infection gradually travels along the canals to the root tips, where it will eventually form an abscess. This is the stage when pain takes a toll and an ordinary filling will not suffice. The options left for this condition are either extraction or a root canal filling procedure. A root canal filling would definitely be the first choice cause preservation is definitely the rationale behind today’s dentistry.
The procedure itself involves the removal of the pulp from the tooth, cleaning and reshaping of the canals and finally filling the canals with an inert and biocompatible filling material. The goal, in a nutshell is to make the canals perfectly sterile by eliminating the infection and thereafter sealing it; followed by a meticulous crowning procedure, the tooth is for keeps. Sounds very complicated and painful? It definitely is not so. The whole procedure can be done totally devoid of pain. True, admitted, it is a cumbersome procedure considering the number of sittings required, the intricate procedures involved, and not to mention the long durations in maintaining the mouth continuously open during the procedure, it can be tiresome. But other than these minor discomforts it is relatively a painless procedure, which prevents a lot of future complications and added costs, should the tooth were to be lost.
By and large a properly done root canal therapy will maintain the integrity of the tooth for a long time if not forever!
Dr. Murali Srinivasan, MDS.
© COPYRIGHT 2005 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED prodents.com