In the initial stages of tooth decay, there will be no pain. With prolonged neglect the cavity gets deeper and deeper and involves the pulp tissues, which contains nerves and blood vessels, it leads to excruciating pain.

Ignorance of the great importance of maintaining each and every tooth, and ignorance of the treatment options available often lead to the premature request to remove decayed tooth/teeth. If the tooth decay has affected the pulp, the tooth has to undergo root canal treatment.

Each tooth has got narrow canals in the centre of the root and these canals have to be cleaned and filled. An experienced endodontist, i.e., a specialist in root canal treatment, is said to have eyes at his fingertips. With specialized instruments to clean the canals, an endodontist decides whether the canals have been cleaned thoroughly or not. For this, they depend on the feel by their fingertips. This feel is developed by years of practice and makers the difference between a novice and an experienced specialist.

A properly root canal treated tooth can serve like a natural healthy tooth- provided- the crown is protected properly. Even when there’s extensive destruction of the tooth crown, it can be brought back to form and function. To accomplish this, first, the tooth is root canal treated. Then part of the root canal filling material is removed. A strong metal is cemented into this empty canal space. Around the protruding portion of the metal rod, base is built up, over which, a cap is fabricated and cemented.

It is often believed that root canal treatment is very painful. However, with the availability of modern equipments and techniques, experienced endodontist can make the entire procedure relatively painless. When the pulp is in a highly inflamed state, the deep anesthetic effect is difficult to obtain, which can cause some pain- but not so severe as to avoid root canal treatment and resort to extraction. Every tooth is worth its weight in gold.

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