When you need a root canal procedure
Here are the instructions we gave to patients when they
needed a
root canal procedure—what to expect, and what to do after the appointment:
You shows signs of having a tooth infection, or a
tooth abscess, which requires root canal
treatment, otherwise known as endodontic therapy, in order to save it
and to prevent or cure a toothache. While you may have a toothache before
this procedure, these treatments have an excellent record of success and
durability. Once this treatment is successful, it will never
wear out or need any maintenance. It may well last you the rest of your
life.
Although dentists may have a greater than a 90% success rate with this
treatment, we cannot guarantee success. There is a less than 10% chance
that your tooth could require root canal surgery (a procedure done to the
tip of the root) after the treatment. There is a less than 5% chance that
the tooth would need to be extracted after treatment, either because of a
failure of the treatment or cracking of the root. Although an infected
tooth can always be extracted, extraction of a back tooth can cause a
major disruption of your bite and can weaken adjacent teeth unless the
extracted tooth is replaced soon with a bridge or a removable partial. The
extraction of a front tooth is unsightly. Extraction of a second molar, if
it's the tooth furthest back in your mouth, causes the least disruption of
your bite.
In times past, endodontic treatment was usually painful either
during treatment or afterward. With what we now know, however, it can
usually be done with only minor post-treatment discomfort.
Sometimes, however, the ligament that attaches the tooth to your jaw
becomes so irritated during and after treatment that the tooth flares up
and becomes painful. If that happens, call your dentist as soon as
possible. For any pain following root canal treatment, ibuprofen is an
excellent medication, as it counteracts the inflammation that causes the
pain. It's available from drug stores as generic ibuprofen, or as Nuprin
or Advil. Take three of these 200 milligram tablets every six hours if
needed.
A tooth that requires an endodontic procedure often has a large filling
and/or extensive tooth
decay, and is therefore weak. Additionally, after root
canal treatment, a tooth will gradually become more brittle and more
susceptible to fracture. We recommend restoring it with a core
material to strengthen it somewhat soon after the completion of endodontic
treatment. Sometimes this can be done during the same appointment. After
that, within one to three months, it usually needs to have a
dental crown
placed. Sometimes, if it is strong enough, a filling may be used to
restore it instead of a crown. The fee for the endodontic treatment does
not usually include the placing of a core, crown, or filling.
There is a remote risk that root canal procedure could result in
irritation or harm to the nerve tissue or other tissues, if they run near
the apex of the tooth. This could result in numbness of the lip or a
portion of the jaw. Other unforeseen problems or damage could occur.
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