How Many Visits Are Required for Root Canal Treatment?
Root canal therapy in Pleasant Hill has got to be one of the most misunderstood and feared dental procedures, next to tooth extraction, of course! Most people who are scheduled to undergo this procedure will often assume the worst.
However, this is different. Root canal therapy is performed to alleviate pain and not cause it. Our dentist near Bancroft performs the procedure after administering local anesthesia. RTC treatments are vital since they help salvage the tooth and prevent unnecessary extractions. The procedure has evolved so much that you need not worry about pain.
That’s why the procedure might take less than one visit to complete. Our dentist might take more than one visit to treat the infected tooth completely. Let’s take a closer look!
A Snippet of Root Canal Therapy
Root canal therapy is an endodontic procedure that is performed to deal with a damaged, diseased, infected, or decaying pulp. The pulp lies beneath the enamel and dentin layer and houses the blood vessels, nerves, and connective tissue.
The pulp is a vital component of the tooth while it is developing. But once your tooth is fully developed, it can continue to survive without it.
Therefore, our endodontist in Pleasant Hill carries out the root canal by removing the decayed or infected pulp. This is done to eradicate the diseased part of the tooth but prevent a structurally sound tooth from being extracted.
How Long Will the Root Canal Last?
The root canal can be done anywhere between 30 minutes and three hours. In other cases, our endodontist can take up to three dental visits to complete the procedure. The duration of your procedure is determined by the scale of your infection and the affected tooth. The fewer the number of canals our dentist has to work on, the shorter the procedure will take.
For instance, the procedure will take much longer if our dentist works on a molar with four canals. If our dentist works on a canine or incisor, the procedure will take much shorter since these teeth have one root. The actual duration for a tooth with one root is 45 minutes; however, sealing and restoring it using a crown might take up to 90 minutes.
Also, if the crown is being placed the same day after you have undergone the root canal, you can expect to wait an additional hour. But this is not the case. Our dentist will ask you to get your crown fitted on the next dental appointment to ensure the infection is completely dealt with.
To understand why root canal therapy near you can last two or three visits, you must have a clear picture of the procedure.
Phases of Root Canal Treatment
A typical root canal procedure will often involve the following phases:
Phase 1- Diagnosis
The procedure will commence with our endodontist taking an x-ray of the affected tooth to see the extent of the damage or infection. This step is vital since it helps our dentist chart the course for your treatment. Our dentist ascertains whether the affected tooth is structurally sound enough to undergo the procedure.
Phase 2- Removing the Affected Pulp Section
The second phase involves the removal of the infected pulp. The endodontist will administer anesthesia to ensure your procedure will be as pain-free and comfortable as possible.
Then, our dentist will drill the tooth’s surface to gain access to your root canal. After accessing the pulp chamber, our dentist will use various instruments to remove the debris, clean up the pulp chamber, and shape it up in preparation for the filling process.
The root canal must be thoroughly cleaned to remove the decayed tissue and bacteria to prevent reinfection.
If the infection is severe, our dentist will opt to put in some antibiotics and cover the tooth using a temporary filling, and then you will have to go home and wait for the infection to clear. Our dentist has to ascertain that the infection has cleared before proceeding to the next phase.
Phase 3- Filling and Sealing the Root Canal
Our dentist will commence with the third phase when the infection has cleared. The space left after the pulp has been removed will be filled using a substance known as gutta-percha. Then, the opening will be covered using a temporary filling.
Phase 4- Restoration
When you get to this point, your tooth is ready to be restored. Our dentist will replace the temporary filling with a dental crown to reinforce the tooth.
As you can see, a root canal can easily take three dental visits to complete. In any case, if you suspect a tooth infection, contact us at Grafton Dental; we would love to help you.