Root canals have a bad rap. Many have heard that a root canal is painful and few understand why it is needed or what is actually being done. In today’s edition of Explain It to Me, I’ll?demystify the root canal and show you that, should you ever need one, you have nothing to be afraid of.

What is a Root Canal?

To have a “root canal” means the dentist has to remove an infected nerve out of the root of the tooth. Essentially, he cleans out the canal so he can fill it with filling material to save the tooth for many years to come. This requires the care of a dental specialist, called an endodontist.

Why Would I Need a Root Canal?

When a tooth has a cavity in it, the the germs in the plaque decay away the inside of your tooth. The decay travels to the innermost part of the tooth where the nerve is. When the nerve is infected, the blood supply to the tooth is destroyed and it kills the tooth. This is where all the “feeling” of the tooth is. So if the nerve is indeed infected, you experience?”pain signals” which can be very severe. If the nerve is not removed, and only masked with pain medication, the infection goes into your jaw bone and can get infect the blood stream. Yeesh. If you don’t want to have a tooth extraction, a root canal will treat the infection so it can survive for years to come.

What is a Root Canal Like?

In order for the nerve and infection to be cleaned out, the dentist will administer local anesthesia to numb any feeling in the tooth and surrounding bone. He uses his drill and many small cylindrical files to extract the infected nerve and remove all germs and decay. Once the root has been hollowed out into a very small canal, it is filled with medicated filling material and a post to strengthen the hollowed root. ?Without the nerve and blood supply, the tooth will eventually become brittle. Therefore, a crown (or “cap”) will be made to cover the entire tooth and protect it from potential breakage.

How Can I Avoid a Root Canal?

The way to avoid needing a root canal is to see your dentist on regular six-month intervals. An infected nerve is only detected on x-rays that show the root tip of the tooth. A dark shadow will appear at the base of the root indicating the infection trying to escape the tooth at the tip of the root. If you’re experiencing any?unusual pain, describe it your dentist and let him take the special x-ray to diagnose the situation.

In some instances, you may not have any pain at all when the dentist may find the infection on regular x-ray screenings. At this point, if you choose to treat the tooth as apposed to extracting it, the dentist can do the root canal procedure with only the minimal discomfort of the initial anesthetic. This is why it is important for regular dental screenings with-rays. A nerve can also die for other reasons besides decay. A tooth fracture or a very large initial restoration of the tooth can sometimes slowly cause the nerve to die, with little or no symptoms.

So, if you “Ask Jeannie”: If you want to avoid a root canal as well as save money, your teeth and your time, regular dental maintenance (as well as a proper brushing and flossing routine) is required. Don’t wait for pain to get you to your dentist!