Dental caries when left untreated progress into the tooth’s soft core (dental pulp) causing the bacteria to develop abscess or pus pocket at the root tip. When the infected pulp is not treated, this will inevitably result to pain and swelling. Also, certain byproducts of the infection can damage your jawbones and without immediate treatment, this could also result to extraction. Endodontics or root canal procedure can save the diseased tooth. Today, a root canal procedure is a better alternative than permanently losing your tooth to extraction.
The thought of having a root canal procedure conjures up pain and renders more than one visit to the dentist’s office. If the tooth demands complex procedure, the root canal can take hours. Imagine sitting for an extended period of time on the patient dental chair plus the enervating thought of the excruciating pain that comes along with the procedure. Some patients really cringe at the thought of the procedure. The good news is developments in dental technology has made root canal procedures faster and more comfortable on the patient. You can have a pain-free root canal with fewer visits to the dentist through sleep and sedation dentistry.
During the treatment, the dentist will put you in a complete relaxed state by administering sedation medication. The gravity of the diseased tooth plus the amount of dental work required to carry out the procedure will determine the levels of sedation and anesthesia that will be utilized. Also, the profile of the patient is taken into consideration as to what type of sedation should be administered. Case in point: when a patient experiences high levels of anxiety or is dental phobic, the dentist will utilize sleep dentistry therapy. With this treatment, general anesthesia is administered through intravenous medication and/or inhalation agents, if necessary. This will put the patient in a complete unconscious state.
On the one hand, in the case of adult patients who want to finish the root canal with fewer visits, the dentist may recommend conscious sedation technique. This treatment employs the use of intravenous agents and if necessary, laughing gas to help relax the patient. Unlike general anesthesia therapy that puts the patient in deep sleep with no recall of the procedure, patients treated with conscious sedation usually have little memory of the procedure being performed.
In sum, root canals do not have to be painful as it used to be. There are alternatives available to alleviate the anxiety and the pain associated with the procedure. If you find yourself needing a root canal work soon, talk to your dentist about the best option to make the procedure more comfortable and of course, painless as much as possible.
For more information on sedation dentistry visit the Ft Lauderdale Dentists at sleepdentists.com.
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