Introduction
Dental health is often impacted by tooth decay, which infects the tooth's pulp, causing pain and inflammation. This infection can be painful but treatable using root canal treatment, which helps restore the infected tooth and relieve the pain. However, this root canal can sometimes become infected, causing significant pain and inflammation. This blog uncovers all aspects of this phenomenon and suggests ways to overcome it.
What is a Root Canal?
Root Canal Treatment is done when a cavity or tooth decay has reached the pulp, causing pain and discomfort and affecting functionality, such as pain and sensitivity. Root canal treatment aims to remove the infected part of the teeth and pulp. Most of the pain is relieved when the pulp is removed and cleaned. After cleaning, the hole left behind by cavities is filled with biocompatible materials to restore functionality. This biocompatible material is then covered with a crown that resembles a natural tooth and improves functionality.
Root canal treatment effectively saves the teeth’s natural structure, restores functionality, and relieves the problem simultaneously. Dental prosthetics, which tend to be more delicate, are unnecessary with this treatment.
Causes of Root Canal Infection
Common causes of Root Canal Infection may include:
- Incomplete cleaning of canals: Root Canal Infection may be caused when, in the previous root canal you had, the canal or the hole left behind by the cavity had not been cleaned properly before filling in the material, which has caused the remaining infection to spread further.
- New Decay: New decay may have started forming on the tooth due to negligence in oral hygiene, causing pain and infections.
- Cracks or Fractures: Damage to the structure of the treated tooth, such as cracks or fractures, can expose the filling to outer bacteria and lead to infections.
- Delayed placement of restorations: If there is a delay in placing crowns or other restorations after filling, the filling can get infected.
Signs and symptoms of a root canal infection:
- Persistent pain or discomfort: If you experience persistent pain or discomfort in your treated teeth that lasts longer than 2-3 days, it might be a sign of a root canal infection.
- Swelling or tenderness in the gums: Noticing swelling and tenderness in your gums near the root canal site might be because of a root canal infection that has taken hold of your teeth.
- Pus discharge from the area: Constant or periodic pus discharge near the area of your root canal is a clear symptom of your root canal being infected.
- Sensitivity to temperature or pressure: Sensitivity to temperature or pressure that makes it difficult to eat something hot, cold, or hard; it may be because of a root canal infection.
Treatment Options for Root Canal Infection
- Retreatment: Retreatment of the root canal is the procedure where the root canal is done again at the site where it was previously done. Retreatment includes removing the previous filing, cleaning the canal, and filling it back, followed by crown placement.
- Apicoectomy: This is a surgical procedure in which the infected root tip is removed to prevent the spread of infection.
- Extraction: When the natural teeth can no longer be saved, they are extracted to prevent the adjacent teeth from infecting.
Prevention of Root Canal Infections
- Proper oral hygiene practices: After the root canal procedure, practice proper oral hygiene as suggested by your dentist to prevent infections. Root canal-centered oral hygiene can help maintain it in the long term.
- Regular dental visits and cleanings: Schedule regular visits to the dentist for assessment and cleaning.
- Healthy diet: Maintain a healthy diet that excludes food and beverages that contribute to cavities and require root canal treatment.
Conclusion
In conclusion, root canal infection can be caused by various factors, such as insufficient cleaning of the canal, improper oral care, or poorly performed root canal treatment. All these situations can lead to mild to extreme infection of the root canal site, which would need different measures depending on the severity of the condition. These measures can help eliminate root canal infection, pain, and discomfort.
Getting a thorough dental examination is essential to determine the cause and treatment of your specific dental issue. Radiant Smiles has made Root Canal Treatment In Chembur East more accessible. Book an appointment now to learn more.