Three Concerns You May Have About Root Canal Therapy

Root canal therapy is a phrase that may send shudders up and down your spine. Most of the fear from root canal work is based on concerns that patients have prior to getting the treatment. Before you begin to feel anxiety or stress over this dental procedure, there are a few things you should know that will help with your concerns. Here are three concerns you may have and the facts about each one.

Do You Really Need Root Canal Therapy?

One of the first concerns you may have is if you really need root canal therapy. This type of dental therapy is used when you have damaged pulp. If the pulp is infected or damaged beyond a repair, then the tooth could decay and die causing more pain and more dental issues. The therapy removes the pulp in order to stop the spread of the issue and save the tooth. So, if you don't want to lose the tooth, then this therapy is an alternative.

How Much Pain Will You Have?                                             

The level of pain you will have can vary from patient to patient. What you need to know about the pain is that you will have pain reducing options during and after the procedure. You can discuss these options with your dentist, but some will include sedatives during the procedure that have pain killers included. Other dentists may want to have you sedated during the procedure and will offer you a pain management medication prescription to help with the pain over the days following the root canal.

What Happens During The Root Canal?

There are several myths surrounding what happens during the therapy and often your imagination can be worse than the actual therapy itself. What you need to know is that you will be put on antibiotics prior to the root canal to kill or greatly reduce the infection.

The dentist will then create an opening in the tooth to access and remove the pulp. If the infection is severe, you will receive a temporary cap that will keep the tooth safe from further damage while allowing the infection to drain. You will return to the dentist and have the infection site checked for issues. The dentist will then have the temporary cap removed from your tooth and a permanent cap put in place.

These three concerns are often the most common. If you have other concerns, such as medication interactions or issues, schedule a consultation with a dentist like Revesby Dental Centre. They can cover any questions that you have and help ease you into the therapy.