

They’re placed into the access hole and work down the full length of the tooth to scrape and scrub the sides of the root canals.
Root canal xray series#
The area is cleaned out using a series of root canal files. The pulp, bacteria, and decayed nerve tissue are removed from the tooth. The next step is drilling an access into the tooth.
Root canal xray free#
To keep the area dry and free of saliva during treatment, your dentist will place a rubber dam (a sheet of rubber) around the tooth.You may not need anesthesia since the nerve is dead, but most dentists still anesthetize the area to make you feel more relaxed. They’ll use local anesthesia to numb the area near the tooth. Your dentist will take an X-ray to see the shape of the root canals and determine if there are any signs of infection in a surrounding bone.If your root canal may be more difficult, your general dentist may suggest you see an endodontist. An endodontist is a dentist who specializes in the causes, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases and injuries of dental pulp or the nerve of the tooth. Tooth sensitivity that lingers, especially to heat or coldĪ dentist or endodontist can perform a root canal.If you need a root canal, you may notice these signs: What Are the Signs That a Root Canal Is Needed? A hole can occur through the side of the tooth with drainage into the gums or through the cheek with drainage into the skin. Drainage problems extending outward from the root.Swelling that may spread to other areas of the face, neck, or head.An infection in the root canal of a tooth can also cause: An abscess happens when the infection spreads all the way past the ends of the roots of the tooth. An abscess is a pus-filled pocket that forms at the end of the roots of the tooth. The bacteria and other decayed debris can cause an infection or abscessed tooth. When a tooth's nerve tissue or pulp is damaged, it breaks down and bacteria begin to multiply within the pulp chamber. But the procedure itself is no more painful than having a filling placed. Root canal procedures have the reputation of being painful. The absence of a nerve won’t affect how your tooth works. Its only function is sensory - to give the sensation of hot or cold.

Without treatment, the tissue surrounding the tooth will become infected and an abscess may form.Ī tooth's nerve is not vitally important to a tooth's health and function after the tooth has come through the gums. It also can happen because of trauma to the face.ĭuring a root canal procedure, the nerve and pulp of the tooth are removed and the inside is cleaned and sealed. A tooth's nerve and pulp can become irritated, inflamed, and infected due to deep decay repeated dental procedures on a tooth or large fillings, a crack, or chip in the tooth. A root canal is a treatment used to repair and save a tooth that is badly decayed or infected.
