Is root canal treatment a painless dental procedure?
Would your heart rate start to increase if you were advised to have a root canal? Your anxiety and nerves might start to creep in over the ‘dreaded’ procedure. However, something most people don’t know is that a root canal is no more painful than a common filling procedure. It is safe to say that root canal has acquired a bad reputation. But, we can assure you that most general misconceptions regarding the pain of dentistry were developed before many of us today were even born. Deriving from the beginning of dentistry when performance of procedures were without the use of anaesthetics (ouch)! These days, dentistry not only alleviates tooth pain, but can also serve to prevent it in the future. This is especially true in the case of a root canal.
What is a root canal procedure?
The purpose of the procedure is to remove infected material in order to relieve pain from the root canal. The procedure generally becomes necessary when a tooth’s pulp dies as a result of decay, chips, breaks, cracks or trauma. The actual root canal itself, refers to the inner passages of a tooth between the tooth’s roots and the pulp. This contains blood vessels and nerves. Beyond sensing cold, heat and other stimuli, nerves of the teeth don’t actually serve a specific purpose once adult teeth have emerged from the gums. This is why removing a tooth’s nerve is a standard way of treating tooth pain when the cause is infection or decay in the tooth’s pulp.
The ultimate goal is to restore the tooth, but there are also other benefits to having the procedure as it will simultaneously clean the tooth’s pulp / nerve space, while removing bacteria. Most importantly, the root canal procedure will eliminate the pain for the patient due to the initial infection.
Unfortunately, the pain felt prior to the procedure that the infection can cause, is usually mistaken with the amount of pain felt during the procedure itself (which is actually not painful). The root canal procedure uses a local anaesthetic therefore, the procedure is virtually pain free.
Potential signs that a root canal may be necessary
Tooth pain can be caused by numerous factors and doesn’t always mean a root canal is necessary. However, take note of the following factors:
Serious tooth pain when eating or placing pressure on the tooth
Darkening of the tooth
Increased cold and heat sensitivity to your teeth
Swelling / tenderness in the gums near the area of the tooth pain
Prevention is better than cure
If you are advised to have a root canal procedure, the aim is to remove your discomfort, not add to it! Remember, the procedure itself is not the painful part, so don’t forget to have regular check-ups with your dentist. Prevention is always better than cure! If you are experiencing any of these symptoms book a consultation with Dr Kate Amos or Dr Sam Rosehill at Ethical Dental on 6652 3185 or book online.
