Root Canal Treatment is a procedure which is done to relieve pain in a tooth caused by decay or attrition or fracture. The procedure involves, removing the nerve supply of the tooth, irrigating and removing the microbial debris surrounding the region to the best and refilling the root canals with an inert filling material. Since the tooth is very febrile after the treatment, an RCT is always followed by a crown to ensure longer life period for the tooth.

1. What makes RCT superior to extraction of an affected tooth?
Root canal treatment is advised against extraction for two main reasons. One is that conservation of the affected tooth, as it can be treated in its place. Secondly nothing can replace a natural tooth, be it an implant or bridge or a denture.

2. Is RCT painful?
RCT as such is done to relieve pain. Most of the patients come down with acute pain, where an RCT under a local anaesthesia will help them give a lot of relief from the pain. If at all pain is felt, it is experienced when the pulp is being extirpated. This is an instantaneous pain which goes away immediately after the nerve is removed. Pulpal anaesthesia is normally given in such cases, but in spite of it some patients do experience spontaneous pain.

3. How many visits are required for an RCT?
It depends on case by case basis. If the pain is of sudden onset and there is not much infection involved in a vital tooth, RCT is done in a single visit. But if the condition is chronic with swelling and pus formation, then it may require 2-3 sittings to make sure the microbial debris is cleared before the final filling up.

4. What if I decide to go for an extraction, in place of an RCT?
Extraction means you are losing your tooth. There is a gap created in that place. The neighbouring teeth and opposing tooth will start to shift towards the empty space. As a result you will end up losing three other teeth if left unattended. Hence replacing of lost tooth with a bridge or implant is very essential.

5. What will happen if I don’t do the root canal treatment?
An infected tooth remains infected until the tooth has a root canal or is removed. If it is not treated, the infection can spread and an abscess will form. The infection can spread to the jawbone and surrounding tissues. Infection can also spread into your tissues like the face and the floor of the mouth.

6. My dentist gave me antibiotic and now my pain is gone. Is the infection gone as well?
Oris Dental Centre offers excellent root canal treatment procedures, with well experienced endodontists at your service.
The antibiotic and pain killers do help to control the infection surrounding the tissues. But the infected nerve is not treated. So there is every possibility of the infection recurring again, if the RCT is being postponed following medication.

7. Are there ways to help anxious patients? Can the root canal treatment be done under general anaesthesia?
Anxiety and fear of the dental chair and treatment is a very common issue. Reassurance and proper communication and preparing the patient for a procedure is taken care of by the dentists. For very special patients like mentally impaired or uncooperative patients RCT can be done under G.A.

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