Who Needs the Suez Canal? You Need a Root Canal.

 
There are certain things that you don’t want to get inside parts of your body. You don’t want those earwig things from Star Trek to climb into your brain through your ear. You don’t want “the” alien to jump on your face and climb into your mouth, taking up a cozy residence in your abdomen.

And you don’t want decay and infection to make its way into one of your teeth. When such an invasion is relatively minor, Dr. Egger can address things by removing the decay and placing a filling. But when the infection is more extreme, a root canal is the only way Dr. Egger can save your tooth.

What is a root canal?

Every tooth has one or more “roots” that keep the tooth anchored into the jawbone. These roots hold the nerves and blood vessels that run through tiny channels, also known as canals. These canals feed the pulp at the center of the tooth. See, now you know what a root canal is.

The problem comes when bacteria makes its creepy way into the pulp of your tooth. This can happen if the tooth becomes cracked. Or it can happen when decay gets through the enamel. Once inside, the pulp, clinically called dentin, becomes infected. Not satisfied with just getting in, the bacteria spreads down into the root canals and can even make its way out into the gums. While there, it tortures the nerves, creating the signature tooth pain that can be akin to medieval torture.

Now your tooth is in danger. Dr. Egger is going to have to perform a root canal to save it.

Wait, you said a root canal is just a passageway in the tooth root for the nerves and blood vessels. True, don’t ask us why cleaning out decay from the root canal is called a root canal. It just is.

Evict the invaders

To save the tooth, Dr. Egger drills a small hole into the top. He then goes in to remove all the infected pulp, the nerves, and any stray bacteria he finds. He does this with the help of tiny round files. His job, should he choose to accept it, is to remove all the infection and everything else from inside the tooth. Next, the empty tooth is thoroughly cleaned with a topical antibiotic to kill any malingering bacteria. Now the fun part — he fills the empty tooth with a rubber compound called gutta percha. If you play golf, you may recognize that term. Yes, it’s what the original golf balls were made of. The final step is to place a filling or a dental crown over the drilled hole to seal up the tooth.

Now your tooth can keep on keeping on. A tooth that has had a root canal may seem fragile since it is hollow, but it isn’t. The tooth could last the rest of your life.

The myth

There is some mythology surrounding root canals. People think they are extremely painful. Untrue. Root canals remove the source of pain, the infected nerves. Root canals are no more painful than having a regular filling placed. People mix up the pain that merits having a root canal done with the actual procedure. The infected tooth can be seriously painful, but not the root canal to save it!

If you have tooth pain, you may have an infected tooth. Call Dr. Egger at 989-773-3560 to make an appointment.