Root Canals

Root canals

Perceived as one of the toughest and most painful dental treatment, root canals have earned themselves a rather bad reputation for being a tricky and traumatising dental treatment. When it comes to undergoing a dental treatment, we tend to paint a picture about the treatment in our mind and make a general assumption that it would be a painful process, which would make you cry and feel pain. Well, this is how conventional dental treatments have treated people and there is not much that can be done to alter that perception but by connecting with an advanced dental clinic like Northridge Advanced Dental clinic, you can definitely help yourself avoid such painful dental treatments and get rid of dental issues in a painless manner.

Let us take a quick overview of one of the most popular and sought after dental treatment service at Northridge Advanced dental clinic.

An overview of Root canals at Northridge Advanced Dental clinic

If you have heard about it, a root canal is one of the most commonly performed dental treatment at any clinic. Speaking widely, root canals are performed to repair and save a tooth from further damage, when the adjoining teeth or a given tooth has undergone major damage, or is under attack from an infection. Although we will let you know the complete details of the procedure at later stages, for now you can understand how a treatment involving root canals is performed generally.

While performing a root canal treatment, the dentist removes the ‘pulp’, or the infected area from a damaged tooth. After this, the dentist will clean and disinfect the affected area thoroughly to remove any residue of the pulp. Once this is done, he will add a filling into and seal the tooth opening.

Root canals are popular for striking a fear in any person as they are expected to be very painful and time consuming. What if we took you through a detailed explanation about the treatment and helped you understand what really happens when your dentist performs a root canal? We are sure that your fear will evaporate and you would be able to feel comfortable with undergoing the treatment.

At Northridge Advanced Dental Clinic, Dr Isaac Kashani is the expert dental surgeons, under who’s guidance, all treatments are supervised at the clinic. We strive to deliver excellence and satisfaction with every single treatment that we provide at our clinic.

The need for a root canal treatment

Owing to a large number of misconceptions about the treatment, people have a lot of negative perception about a root canal dental treatment. As long as you maintain your teeth with good hygiene habits, you may not even need one, all your life. However, should any issue come up, you may be advised to undergo the treatment, to save other teeth from falling for the same fate.

Here are the stages of decay and why you may need a root canal treatment:

• Infections can be normal and minor but when an infection exceeds the enamel layer of a tooth and makes it way deeper inside it, the lower layers of a tooth become infected, which might be difficult to control with local medications or domestic treatments.
• Once the infection starts penetrating the deeper layers of the tooth, it eventually reaches the nerve structure at the core of the tooth, where the pulp of the tooth is located.
• All this time, the nerve endings suffer from inflammation, which occurs as a direct result of decay in the tooth. Gradually, the entire structure begins to die and there is no going back to healing from this point.
• To add to the stress, the teeth release a specific chemical, which is responsible for pain and swelling, resulting from an infection, at the tip of the tooth. Most patients realise that something is wrong with their tooth, only at this point.
• This is when you should ideally ring a bell for your dentists and seek expert expertise to help you get rid of the pain and swelling.

AS you might have already felt while reading the stages of the infection, a root canal requires an expert hand to clear your tooth, of the infection and discomfort. Northridge Advanced Dental Clinic can be a promising saviour for you and your teeth at this point, since our expert doctors, Dr Isaac Kashani, will be able to handle your case on priority.

Who will be tending to your treatment at Northridge Advanced Dental Clinic?

As per the accepted norms, a general dentist or an endodontist can perform a treatment connected with root canals. Here’s what you need to know about them both:

• General dentist: A general dentist is someone who understands and practices across common fields of dentistry and addresses issues connected with the same.
• Endodontist: This is a specialised dentist, who receives training at an advanced level and holds speciality in the understanding of a tooth’s internal structure. However, some knowledge about the same is imparted to general dentists as well, during their study curriculum and training sessions.

In the case of Northridge Advanced Dental Clinic, you need not worry about this matter. All treatments at our clinic are supervised under the guidance of Dr Isaac Kashani, who are advanced level specialists and further, we have a vast team of specialised dentists and general dentists as well.

Otherwise, you may refer your trouble to a general dentist, who may or may not further refer you to an endodontist.

What to expect during a root canal?

It is common to feel queasy about a dental treatment, especially when it comes to a root canal treatment. However, understanding the treatment procedure can help you overcome your fears and become confident about undertaking it at Northridge Advanced Dental Clinic.

• First of all, it is of prime importance to anaesthetize a tooth so that the treatment can progress without any pain. It is done in an analogous manner as when a cavity is filled in.
• Using appropriate tools, the tooth is drilled down to reveal the infected area.
• The dentist removes the decayed nerve endings, inflammation, infected pulp and the dead nerve tissues, located around the area.
• The tooth is cleaned thoroughly to remove any traces of the remaining infection and is prepared for a filling procedure.
• Most commonly, the filling material is composed of a rubbery material, which is known by the name of gutta percha. The task of this substance is to completely seal off the internal structure of the tooth and separate it from the oral ingestions later.
• Post performance of this procedure, the internal core of the tooth is protected but the overall tooth remains weak and prone to infections. This is why, a dental treatment of crowns might be recommended as a protection for the tooth.
• Root canals can be performed in a single visit. However, recurring visits might be required to assess the stability of the treatment and ensure that the infection is not coming back.

This is it! Your average root canal treatment is carried out in this manner to protect your teeth and save them from further decay and infections.

If you are still wondering if you should go for a root canal treatment or not, consider these facts. As per statistics, more than 95% of the dental treatment, involving a root canal, have been found to be successful. Also, root canal is considered as an economic and less costly dental treatment, compared with any ordinary tooth extraction process.

Unsure if you need a root canal? Visit Northridge Advanced Dental Clinic today!

Sometimes, the signs of an infections or a problem with the teeth, may become apparent through certain symptoms. As a part of proper oral hygiene, it is expected that people should be vigilant about such symptoms and consult a dentist at the first signs of a trouble with their teeth.

Dr Isaac Kashani, of Northridge Advanced Dental Clinic, are of the opinion that people should make it a point to visit a dentist on a routine basis, for a general examination. This will help catch the signs of an infection at an early stage and consequently, assist them in providing adequate relief from the problem.

If you find that your teeth do not look healthy or if you are troubled with pain and discomfort of any type, it is advisable that you visit a dentist at the earliest and have them check your teeth. This will help them discover the problem with your teeth and suggest corrective procedures.

How do we know if we will be able to help you?

Surely, this section might have caught you off guard! Well, while most people would talk about why you should choose a particular service provider or what you should look for, in a dentist before choosing him, let us talk about how do we ensure if we are the right people to handle your case.

Each patient and each tooth is unique, and so are the problems associated with them. While there are ample general researches and journals to suggest what should be done during a root canal procedure, every year, we do come across a case or two, which is intensively intricate and difficult. This is mostly because of the level of damage, which is so deep and acute that we have to consider how to treat the patient.

For this purpose, we conduct a thorough examination of the patient at first. At this stage, we consider every aspect about the patient and his condition and understand how the treatment can be performed, in order to provide relief to the patient.

Also, we ensure that we are equipped with the necessary tools and expertise to handle the case and that we have the resources to complete the task at hand. Once this job is done, we convey every detail to the patient, so that he can make an informed choice about undergoing the treatment as per our prescription. Only then, do Dr Isaac Kashani, undertake to carry out the dental treatment of root canals.

In this regard, the competency and training qualification of every dentist at Northridge Advanced Dental Clinic is assessed, before assigning him to any patient.

Have you heard this about root canals?

We are sure that your mind is stuffed with endless thoughts and myths about a root canal treatment. Let us proceed to find out how far they are true!

1. The most painful thing about teeth: As long as you are getting root canal treatment in the twenty first century, you need not believe this part about root canals. They used to be a painful thing, back in the day when technology was not as advanced but today, with the advanced aesthetics, the same cannot be said to be true.
2. We will find you sitting at the dentist at most times: Root canal treatments can be different for different people. While for some, it may require a single sitting, some may even need to visit more than four – five times for completing their treatment. The same depends upon the extent of damage and difficulty in accessing the root canal, hence, it is not true that root canals necessarily require several sittings.
3. Root canals increase illness: Back in the day, some researches pointed out that bacteria can remain trapped inside a root canal and aggravate heart diseases in a patient. This story has never been proven and in fact, bacteria are quite common, even in the mouth of a healthy person.
4. Root canals are not durable: Sometimes, and in fact, very commonly, teeth tend to break after months of undergoing a root canal treatment. The reason for the same is that the lack of nerve endings and cutting off the blood supply from the tooth, leave it vulnerable to becoming brittle, after constant grinding and chewing activities. Over time, when the tooth can no longer stand to remain in its original shape, it tends to break off. The simple way how it can be controlled is a proper crown covering after a root canal treatment. Aptly stated, it is not the root canal that doesn’t last but the lack of proper tooth restoration that leads to ultimate demise of the tooth.

Some fun facts about your teeth and root canal treatments

Here are some quirky yet significant facts about root canals and your teeth, which will surprise you!

• Every year, more than 15 million root canals are performed by dentists all over the world.
• The number of root canals performed by endodontists is 12 times more than those performed by general dentists.
• While there exists no such distinction, almost 50% people claim to have heard about a ‘root canal specialist’ at some point of their life.

How do I know that I need a root canal?

While tooth ache and pain while eating food and talking is one of the most common reason why you may need a root canal, there are some other symptoms which point in the direction. Take a look at them here:

• Observing swelling in the gums
• Observing swelling on some part of the face
• Bad breath in the mouth which continues to persist in spite of using mouth fresheners and oral hygiene products
• Appearance of some darkness on or around the tooth
• Feeling of tenderness on the gums
• Feeling of teeth sensitivity when consuming hot and cold food items
• Appearance of a bump on the gums or somewhere around the tooth

These are just some of the common symptoms that may indicate that you need a root canal treatment. However, it is not necessary that either of these symptoms may necessarily mean a problem with the internal structure of your teeth. Moreover, there can be other symptoms as well which may indirectly indicate the need for a root canal treatment.

We understand that it might not always be possible for you to understand these symptoms, or look out for other symptoms which would require immediate attention to your teeth.

This is why, we encourage you to stay in touch with your dentist and get your teeth assessed by them on a regular basis.

At Northridge Advanced dental clinic, Dr Isaac Kashani can provide the best dental care for your teeth in a comprehensive manner. They have individually handled many patients who required root canal treatments and have trained other dentists at our clinic as well with their expert guidance.

Northridge Advanced dental clinic is a place which addresses your dental issues with care and provides a friendly medium for you to avail treatment at the best possible costs and within a reasonable time frame. For a root canal treatment, get in touch with our dentists today and let them examine your teeth for a complete treatment solution.