Root Canal Therapy  Changing Your View Of Root Canals

Root canal therapy is performed on millions of teeth each year around the world in order save teeth from extraction. Although it is a very common and successful procedure it still provokes a great deal of fear and anxiety (which is why I wrote The Relaxed Root Canal).

I would like to answer a few questions you may have about root canals.

Root Canal Therapy : Questions and Answers

What is a root canal?  Your tooth is composed of 4 basic tissues. The one you’re most familiar with is enamel. This is the white, hard covering of the top of your tooth.

There is a different tissue covering the roots of your teeth called cementum. Beneath the enamel and cementum is another hard tissue called the dentin. Beneath the dentin is the pulp.

The dental pulp is the soft tissue on the inside of your tooth. It is composed of nerve tissue, small arteries and veins, and lymphatic vessels. When this tissue becomes inflamed or infected it must be removed and the remaining space filled with a root canal filling material. We refer to this process as root canal therapy.

When will I know if I need a root canal?  I explain this more in The Relaxed Root Canal but I want to briefly discuss it here.

It is possible to develop a root canal abscess with no pain at all. This usually surprises and confuses people. But your dentist may discover that you need root canal therapy on an x-ray taken during a routine dental exam. The root canal infection could have been present for quite some time but only is detected by the x-ray.

On the other hand there are some symptoms that may indicate that a root canal is necessary. These are the most common symptoms:

• Pain on biting.  
• Prolonged sensitivity to cold and/or hot. 
• Spontaneous pain.  

Will I be put to sleep for root canal therapy? Usually a tooth can be treated with just local anesthetic. It is very much like getting a filling placed in a tooth.

Will I be given antibiotics? A root canal abscess may require the use of antibiotics but usually this isn’t necessary. Your dentist will use these judiciously.

Why should I save my tooth? People sometimes think it is easier and cheaper to just remove the tooth. Of course the dental profession is committed to helping save their natural teeth. There are good reasons for this.

Removing a tooth without soon replacing it will affect your ability to chew. It may also result in an esthetic problem that affects your appearance when smiling or talking. Additionally, a missing tooth can cause drifting of adjacent or opposing teeth. This can lead to significant problems later.

In The Relaxed Root Canal I answer over 80 commonly asked questions about root canal therapy. I wrote this book to help the fearful dental patient overcome fear and anxiety and have a more relaxing root canal experience.

I've performed root canal therapy on thousands of patients and can assure you that the relaxed patient receives the highest quality of root canal. So, before you invest in your root canal you should learn how to relax for your appointment.

For more information CLICK HERE.

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