Root Canals Don’t Have to be Painful
Every day thousands of people have the nerves removed from their teeth. This procedure is commonly called a “root canal.” Many people say that it is a painful experience and an expensive one. Now , lets talk about this.
To begin with teeth are made of enamel on the outside with the middle called dentin and the inner core called the nerve tissue. The nerve tissue is connected to blood vessels that keep the tooth “alive”.
When the nerve gets “infected” due to decay , or by a filling that was done close to the nerve, or banging the tooth in an accident. It begins to degenerate and slowly die. Many times the nerve tissue becomes infected and the condition if left untouched results in a “fistula” which is an opening to the outside environment to release the bacteria or “pus “ that has built up as a result of this infection.
The nerve that becomes infected eventually can result in pain and swelling. Now , if you have pain and swelling around a tooth this does not mean that a root canal will be required.
Many times a root canal procedure is done when in reality that root canal was not needed to solve the problem. This is because often times a swelling with pain associated with it can be the result of a sinus infection or a problem with the gum tissue or gum abscesses. These problems can be healed without the need for a root canal.
The biggest hindrance is the dental profession’s attitude in prescribing root canals as the catch all answer for the common “toothache”. Plus there is a large benefit economically to do the root canal procedure for the dentist. If you would like more information on this topic please feel free to contact dr. Nolan by email at rnolan@dentalchickens.com or by telephone at 310-827-5094.
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