Are you feeling nervous about getting root canal treatment for the first time? Then there is no doubt that you are headed with full of questions considering all the rumours about the treatment, procedure, cost, pain, visits and more…
Knowing about the treatment will help you lower your stress levels. There are several factors that determine the length of the root canal procedure. Because the length of the treatment will depend on how badly your tooth is damaged. Usually, this treatment needs two appointments. But in this developed technology and more improved surgical methodologies, root canals can be performed with greater efficiency.
What is the need for root canal treatment?
If you are suffering due to the infected area of dental pulp inside your tooth, then you need a root canal to remove the infection. In this process, the dental pulp will be removed and canals are sealed in order to prevent the bacteria.
However, there are several other reasons for the damage of dental pulp. The pulp can also become inflamed due to the crack or chip and you may feel sensitivity. Leaving this untreated can lead you to severe damage because the increased inflammation and infection can cause intense pain.
How many visits does a root canal require?
Usually, the visits depend on the type of the tooth, the severity of the infection, and the complexity of the tooth’s anatomy. Most commonly, root canals can be treated in one to two visits unless you have extremely promoted teeth.
Two-visit approach
If it is about two appointments, the first one deals with cleaning and shaping the tooth’s root canal system. The second one is to perform the process of filling and sealing the cleaned canal space.
For the time period in between these two appointments, your dentist will place some type of medicament inside the tooth to carry on the disinfection of the tooth.
Single-visit treatment
The biggest advantage of having a single visit treatment is it involves very less time. Due to advanced dental technology they made it easier to complete tooth’s work within a single sitting with increased speed and efficiency along with the quality.
Difference between single-visit and Two-visit treatment protocol
Single-visit treatment protocol
- Destroying a large number of microorganisms during cleaning.
- Burying the bacteria by root canal obturation.
- Deprives the remaining bacteria of nutrition and space for its survival.
Two-Visit Treatment protocol
- In the first visit, cleaning and shaping of the root canal.
- Usage of disinfecting agents to remove the microorganisms from your root canal system.
- The second visit deals with sealing and obturation.
Advantages of Single-visit approach
- Reduces the severe pain and swelling in a single visit.
- Avoid re-growth of bacteria and also root canal contamination.
Advantages of the two-visit approach
- The use of medicament calcium hydroxide in between visits helps to prevent disinfection.
- Here, the dentist can be able to monitor the process of the healing period of your tooth.