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Endodontics (Root Canals)
Endodontic treatment or more commonly known as a root canal, is a well known dental procedure. A root canal often has a negative connotation with many people fearing it being painful. For the majority of root canals, if anesthetic is done properly the tooth will be numb and there will be no pain. Also if the dentist takes proper steps to disinfect and seal the canals of the tooth, the success rate can be very high.
A root canal may be indicated for a few reasons.
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A cavity grew large enough to allow bacteria to enter the pulp chamber and infect the tooth.
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Trauma or damage to the nerve caused the tooth to die and the blood supply is interrupted.
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Trauma from dental work or from clenching/grinding
Unknown etiology leading to tooth ultra-sensitivity and pain.
One of the most important aspects of a root canal is disinfection. For this to happen the tooth needs to be isolated from the environment of the mouth. Most commonly this is done with a rubber dam or Isovac/dryshield mouthpiece. Not using any type of isolation or just a cotton roll is below standard of care and can easily introduce bacteria into the root canal space.
Proper time of use and agitation of the disinfecting solution can further aid in making sure the tooth is disinfected.
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