Few Facts You Need To Know Before Undergoing Root Canal Treatment

Posted by Nilay Thakur on March 25th, 2019

Believe it or not, teeth are an essential part of human existence. People tend to ignore or take it for granted often. The teeth play a significant role in speech, besides helping humans in chewing their food. And, chewing down the food only helps in proper digestion.

Gone are the days when our ancestors had little means of caring for their teeth. Consider the primates in the early stages of human evolution - they used their teeth to tear away the raw flesh of animals. But, lack of proper care resulted in irreversible damage to their most essential means of survival. The present generation has more than one reason to thank Science and Technology which has answers to all kind of problems that one faces, including solutions to nagging toothaches.

Experiencing toothaches, tooth decay, gum inflammation, tooth sensitivity are a few of the dental problems that occur due to negligence and carelessness for an essential human organ. Science has answers to these dental issues, and root canal treatment is definitely one of them.

So, next time if any one of your teeth is troubling you with continuous aching sensation, you better look up for root canal treatment in Kolkata.

But, it is always better to sharpen your knowledge about RCT before investing your money into one. Agreed! Doctors and dentists know better than any layman. Yet, there is no harm to know all about the referred treatment and find out if you really need to undergo the same or not. After all, ignorance is never bliss when it comes down to your health.

What is root canal treatment?

Root canal treatment is a procedure which is applied to patients who are suffering from prolonged dental pain. When there is an inflammation or infection in the roots of a tooth, root canal treatment is the only solution to fight the disease and bring down the pain. The treatment primarily focuses on the infected pulp tissue in the tooth.

But, treatments vary according to the symptoms and the root cause of the problem. Few tooth problems can be quickly taken care of by the regular dentists. But, certain matters need expert advice, and an endodontist is the one you need to approach.

So, even before you search for a root canal treatment in Kolkata, you need first to understand the difference between a dentist and an endodontist.

Who is an endodontist?

Endodontists are dentists who specialize in teeth treatment through endodontic therapy which is a procedure carried out in the soft inner tissue of the teeth called the pulp. Less than three percent of dentists are endodontists who perform nearly 28% of total 15.1 million root canal treatments every year.  They specialize in saving diseased tooth successfully.

Understanding the difference brings you back to the primary question -

Why do you need root canal treatment?

Usually, a root canal is done when the patient is experiencing prolonged pain in one of the tooth. Toothache occurs when there is an inflammation or infection in the tooth resulting in tooth decay, a cracked tooth or the continuous need to treat the affected area.

Few other symptoms include -

• Prolonged sensitivity to hot or cold temperatures, especially when one is drinking hot tea or tasting an ice-cream.

• Discoloration or darkening of the affected tooth.

• Swelling and tenderness in the gums.

Often, few complications crop up post root canal treatment such as -

1. Undetected crack in the tooth

At times, the dentist might completely overlook a tiny crack in the root of your tooth during the RCT. The undetected exposed area is then subjected to bacterial infection, leading to more pain and second RCT on an urgent basis.

2. More than one root causing problem

If your dentist misses out one of the infected roots during RCT, then the problem will resurface sooner than later post surgery. The bacteria left behind in the untreated root will cause you more pain and an immediate need for a second RCT in the same area.

3. Use of defective materials

With time, there is a high possibility that the inner seal placed during a root canal can erode allowing bacteria to restart their activities in the same root of the infected tooth. It is imperative for the patients to take special care post root canal treatment to prevent the recurrence of the problem.

So, it is advisable to have your RCT done from reputed places or centers that specializes in root canal treatment in Kolkata or elsewhere.

Benefits of RCT

When you think about a root canal treatment or any surgery for that matter, you start envisioning a process which is painful, time-taking and calls for an equally long duration of slow recovery.

This is where a root canal treatment is likely to surprise you with the fact that this process is virtually painless. The benefit of RCT lies in the fact that the usage of effective anesthesia during the surgery will numb your senses for a while and you will experience negligible pain in the affected tooth.

On the other hand, extracting a tooth is described by most patients as a painful process compared to RCT.

During RCT or any other endodontic treatment, the infected pulp is carefully removed and the inside of the affected tooth is cleaned, disinfected, filled and sealed with a rubber-like material. Later, the tooth is restored with a crown for protection, and sooner it will start performing like any other tooth.

Besides being a painless process, there are other benefits you can enjoy while undergoing an RCT such as -

• The process is efficient and cost-effective
• Crowns function like natural teeth, and
• They are visually appealing too

Do you know RCT and Cosmetic Dentistry are complementary to one another?

Cosmetic Dentistry refers to any dental work that focuses on improving the appearance of your teeth, gums, and or bite.

On the other hand, RCT involves treatment of infected teeth and gums.

But, capping is a must post RCT. In the absence of proper capping, there is a high probability for the tooth to get infected again due to micro leakage. Also, the tooth becomes brittle after the treatment necessitating proper capping immediately after the RCT. This is where cosmetic dentistry comes in. Capping and beautifying teeth is what the cosmetic dentists take care of.

Even if you are searching for ‘cosmetic dentistry near me,’ you are likely to get redirected to centers for root canal treatment. 

The average cost of root canal treatment in India varies between Rs. 6000 - Rs 8000 per tooth with an additional charge of Rs. 5500 and above for the dental crowns.

An Interesting Fact about RCT

A Survey Report on the “Effect of Root Canal Fillings and Coronal Restorations on the Periapical Status of Endodontically Treated Teeth in a Selected Group of Population” noted that “the outcome of RCT in case-controlled studies has yielded success rates up to 98% in terms of therapy-healing and functionality”.

See, there is practically no need to fear about RCT as the process is painless, quick, and the success rate is nearly 98% as mentioned in the figure above. And, you have many hospitals and dental care centers for Root Canal Treatment in Kolkata to take care of your dental problems.

If you are feeling pain in one of your teeth, it is better to consult a dentist and get your root canal before it turns for the worst.

Author bio:

Traveler by heart and an avid reader of mystery thrillers as well as science fictions, Somenath Kumar Nag developed flair in writing across different genres, including poems and stories. She is currently a full-time blogger and technical content writer.