What Is A Root Canal?
A root canal can seem like an extreme procedures. Thanks to today’s numbing technologies, it is not known for being unbearably painful. You usually don’t need a root canal until a tooth is either dead or about to die. This can be due to large amounts of decay or trauma that has reached the tooth’s pulp and root.
Your dentist will clean out and rearrange the soft tissues in the cavity where the root and pulp is located. In this regard, a root canal actually refers more to the location and is used as a shorthand for the procedure itself. Once the pulp and root canal have been cleaned and properly repositioned, the dentist will fill the opening in the crown with a rubber-like material as a temporary filling. Once your root canal has healed, you return to the dentist for a crown and the procedure is complete.
If you think you might need a Las Vegas root canal specialist, give us a call and schedule an appointment for a consultation today to see what kind of treatment is right for you.
How to Prevent a Root Canal
Most of the tips that are provided to help prevent the need for a root canal fall into one of two categories: preventive dentistry or protective common sense. Here are the top 10 ways that you can take care of your teeth and prevent the need for a root canal in your future.
Brush Your Teeth: Anytime you are looking to prevent a potential dental issue, you should expect this to be number one on the list. Considering that tooth decay is one of the primary causes of tooth pulp becoming infected, it should not come as a surprise that brushing your teeth is one of the most important steps in preventing the need for a root canal. Remember to brush twice per day including right before you go to bed.
Floss: Right along with brushing, the next best way to prevent tooth decay is to floss at least once a day. This will help prevent any bacteria from building up in nooks and crannies that your toothbrush cannot reach. It also helps to keep your breath smelling fresh.
Avoid Hard Candies and Other Hard Foods: The “trauma” often associated with the need for a root canal can come from extreme physical force like a blow or something similar. However, it is far more common for someone to crack their teeth while eating hard foods. Once your tooth is cracked, it can be difficult to clean and will definitely need a dentist’s attention to avoid needing a root canal later on.
Weak Teeth: If you already know that you have weak teeth, you need to be extra careful with what you chew. Whereas hard candies can crack even healthy teeth in the wrong circumstances, people with weaker teeth can crack them even when eating things like certain harder fruits and vegetables.
Do Not Chew Ice: Whether you do it as a nervous habit, a substitute during a diet, or just because you enjoy the cool, freshness, chewing ice can easily lead to a cracked tooth. When that happens, it is only a matter of time before bacteria works its way into the crevice created and wreaks havoc on your dental health.
Protect Against Stress: If you grind your teeth due to stress, try and find a way to break the habit. If you cannot stop yourself from grinding your teeth, especially if it is subconscious or occurs in your sleep, consider wearing some kind of mouthguard to prevent possible damage.
Sports Injuries: Speaking of mouthguards, one of the more common instances where you might receive what people commonly think of trauma is not likely to happen by getting socked in the mouth–at least not intentionally. Instead, highly competitive contact sports can lead to stray blows which could crack teeth. That is why you should wear a mouthguard when playing any sport where you may get hit in the face–even accidentally.
Avoid Acidic Drinks: Fruit juice may be good for you, but many of them also contain a large amount of acid. While you may not feel the acid eating away at your teeth, it most definitely does, albeit slowly. Sodas also contain acids that can eat away at your teeth. These drinks also contain a high amount of sugar that can feed bacteria. .
Dental Checkups: Yet another preventative dentistry tip, getting your teeth cleaned by a dentist regularly to help prevent the buildup of plaque and other issues which can lead to tooth decay. Your dentist will also examine the general state of your teeth and be able to catch a small problem that could turn into a big one later down the road if left untreated.
Listen To Your Pain: Pain is your body’s way of telling you that something is going wrong. When it comes to your teeth, this is especially important. If something hurts in your mouth, get it checked out.
As you can see, a lot of the tips for preventing the need for a root canal boil down to good oral hygiene and common sense. If you find yourself in need of a Las Vegas root canal specialist, give us a call. We will setup an appointment to have your teeth examined and figure out if a root canal treatment is right for you.
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