Today, we're discussing what to know about root canals. Over the years, we've found that patients are far less nervous when they have all the information they possibly can. From anesthesia to root canal recovery time, we're giving you the complete rundown, so you can feel confident in the procedure should you need it.
Let's face it, root canals have a bad rap. From how painful are root canals to the idea that root canal recovery time is long, there are a lot of misconceptions surrounding the procedure. We often have patients who come in for a consultation and are in dire need of a root canal, but they don't want to have it done. We believe the best way to ensure our patients take the correct steps for their oral care is to demystify the process - in this case, root canals.
We're not sure where the myth of painful root canals got started. With proper administration of local anesthetic, they are actually painless. Think of a root canal as a filling on steroids. Instead of filling a cavity, we fill the entire tooth. Just as when we're filling a cavity, we'll administer local anesthetic and be certain that the area is completely numb before beginning the root canal procedure.
For those who have too much trepidation about the procedure, sedation dentistry can answer their worries. Sedation dentistry is the process of inducing what's known as a "twilight" sedation in order to perform the root canal. This type of sedation isn't deep like surgical sedation which allows patients to follow directions and be safe at the same time. However, even though patients are semi-conscious, they rarely have any memory of the procedure whatsoever. This means they simply go from a toothache to a successful root canal with no fear or anxiety.
While we consider ourselves one of the best offices for tooth implants in NYC, we're not solely focused on that procedure. In fact, we'd rather avoid it if possible. Root canals are the best way to save infected teeth. They address the root cause of the infection head-on, avoiding further tooth degradation and the possible need for a tooth replacement in the future. In almost all cases, we recommend attempting a root canal before anything more drastic.
The recovery time for a root canal is only about 3 days. In most cases, patients are back to their day-to-day activities within 24 hours, and with proper care like avoiding alcohol, tobacco, and excessive pressure on the side of the root canal, they'll be back to normal in just a few days. If there is any discomfort after that time period, it's important to contact us to ensure that there have been no complications.
In most cases, we do the root canal and the crown on the same day, which means you don't have to schedule a follow-up appointment. You'll be in and out of our office and have a completely restored tooth on the same day.
The more you know, the better you feel about any subject. That's especially true with any dental procedure. We hope your two biggest takeaways from the post about what to know about root canals are that they're effective and painless. If you've been experiencing a chronic or painful toothache, schedule an appointment, and let us help you save your tooth.
