Did you Know That Painless Root Canal Treatments are Available?

A Painless Root Canal Treatment From Your General Dentist

If you hear the term “root canal therapy” and cringe in fear, you aren’t alone. Root canal therapy is considered an extremely painful procedure, but that isn’t the case at all. General dentists can provide painless, effective root canal treatment that stops the pain associated with infection.

The Procedure Eliminates Pain

If you ask most people if they want a root canal treatment, they’ll immediately recoil and say, “no.” This is because the procedure is so painful, right? Wrong. When you have a tooth infection, it can be extremely painful. Even when you aren’t eating or drinking, your tooth may throb consistently and even keep you up at night. Pain medication does little to help. What you may need is a root canal treatment.

When decay or trauma allows bacteria to enter the pulp of the tooth, an infection can occur, leading to swelling, pressure and pain. During a root canal treatment, the infection is removed along with the pulp. You may feel some soreness after the procedure, but it’s not nearly as bad as an actual infection.

Numbing Is Used

A root canal treatment would be extremely painful without local anesthetic, or “Novocain,” which is the injection your dentist gives you before working on your teeth. It completely numbs the area, so you feel nothing.

If you have a small cavity on the surface of your tooth, your dentist doesn’t need to use much “Novocain” because it’s far from the pulp. However, with a root canal treatment, the dentist is treating the pulp, so more “Novocain” may be needed. If you do experience any discomfort during the procedure, tell your dentist and they can give you more anesthetic until you feel nothing.

Sedation Is Available

Even though root canal treatment shouldn’t be painful, it still isn’t the most pleasant experience. The fear that you may suddenly feel a sharp pain and the sensation of the file cleaning out your roots makes the procedure uncomfortable.

Luckily, general dentists can provide different levels of sedation, including inhalation (nitrous oxide), oral and IV conscious. Inhalation is the most basic form of sedation, and you’ll be able to drive yourself home after the procedure, but for oral and IV sedation, you’ll need a ride. All, however, make you more relaxed and make the procedure seem dreamlike and fast, so your anxiety melts away.

Root canal therapy should not be feared. It is an effective way to save an infected tooth. Infected teeth can’t be “cured” any other way, so if you refuse the root canal treatment, expect your tooth to be pulled. For more information about root canal treatments, contact Landmark Dental Group today.