What Is a Root Canal?
A root canal is a fairly common procedure used to relieve you of dental pain. This procedure starts with an x-ray to help the dentist or endodontist to identify the scope of the issue. A local anesthesia is then used to numb the site of the procedure. (For those with dental anxiety, East Indy Dental Care also offers sedation dentistry as an option. During this, the dentist will ease your tension through sedation, allowing you to remain awake and able to react and answer as needed.) Following this, your dentist will use a drill to tunnel into the tooth, allowing them to access the infected or inflamed pulp. At this point, the decaying tissue and bacteria will be scraped from the area. Once this has been completed, the hole is sealed with gutta-percha, a dental composite.
Caring For a Root Canal
In the days following your root canal, you may experience minor pain and tooth sensitivity. Over the counter pain medications are typically enough to have you pain-free. Some procedures require a crown to be installed during a second appointment. If this occurs, it is important to keep chewing to a minimum, however, soups, smoothies, and soft foods are typically acceptable.
In regards to oral maintenance, your post-root canal routine is easy. Simply floss, brush and use your mouthwash as you typically would. Continuing to undergo routing annual or semi-annual dental checkups are important, not only to your root canal maintenance, but also your overall oral health.
Choose East Indy Dental Care!
At East Indy Dental, we strive to keep you calm, comfortable and relaxed while undergoing any procedure in our office. As your local dental clinic in Indianapolis, East Indy Dental Care are able to provide our community with several high-quality professional services. This includes general, sedation, and laser dentistry, as well as cosmetic, restorative, endodontic and periodontics procedures. We also offer emergency dental care.
At East Indy Dental, our staff understands how scary the phrase “root canal” can be. You have nothing to fear when you choose East Indy Dental Care. If you are in the Indianapolis area and are in need of dental services, contact us today.