Root canal...I may have to get one. What to expect?!

Root canal...I may have to get one. What to expect?

I may have to get a root canal. Can someone explain to me what the proceedure will be like. How many doc. visits, how long will it take, how much does it hurt. Will I have to take days off from work to recover? How do they know you have to get a root canal? Just basically everything and anything. And also can you explain how the crown works. I know what it is but how do they put it on your tooth? The more details, the better. Thanks!

Depending on the number of teeth and severity affected, root canals usually require one to two visits not including any follow-up visits. Your dentist or Endodontist will numb the area around the affected tooth, or may offer you the option of mild sedation. A rubber dental dam is placed and the tooth is then drilled to the pulp area either through the top or the back of the tooth. The actual root canals are measured after some of the pulp has been removed. This is done so that the dentist can clean the entire canal, and so that enough of the filling material will be used to completely fill the canal. The actual measuring is done with either x-rays or electronic imaging devices.

All of the diseased pulp in the tooth is removed, and the canal is cleaned out thoroughly with an antiseptic solution. This solution will clean all of the canals within the tooth. The canals are then filled with gutta percha, a flexible plastic material. A temporary filling is then put on top of that. A crown or permanent filling will be done after there has been no sign of infection. Crowns are most common since the root canal procedure weakens the tooth. The crown is usually placed as soon as possible, within a month or less.

Expect two to three days of soreness after the procedure, or longer if the infection in the root canal was severe. Your dentist will probably prescribe you some antibiotics and pain medication; be sure to follow all label directions and compleyely finish antibiotic therapy.