How long does a Root Canal take?
The length of time it takes to do a root canal will all depend on how badly the tooth is damaged. When you have a root canal done this treats the pulp of the tooth which might be infected, inflamed, or dead. At the center of the tooth, you have a substance which recalled a dental pulp. This consists of the nerve endings, connective tissue, and blood vessels.
The hollow part in the center of the tooth is the pulp chamber and this goes down into the root of the tooth and the surrounding bone. Some tooth root will have more than one root canal but all teeth have at least one canal.
Root Canal Treatment
A root canal is usually treated by a regular dentist or by an endodontist who is a professional in root canal treatments. If the tooth is quite complicated then the dentist might refer you to this professional but in most cases, they will do the treatment on their own.
During a root canal treatment, the dental pulp will be removed and the pulp chamber and the canals are sealed so that bacteria cannot get inside. There are many things that can damage the nerve or the pulp of the tooth.
In many cases, a patient will feel the pain which could be an indication that they need a root canal treatment. At other times, there are signs that anything is wrong.
If a person has a toothache, this is one indication that their tooth might need a root canal but it doesn’t necessarily mean this because of a toothache can occur if you have a chip, crack, or other problem with your tooth.
This will depend upon the severity of the condition and the extent of the damage to the tooth. In many cases, there will be two trips to the dentist.
During the first visit, the dentist will examine the tooth and if necessary remove the pulp of the tooth so that the patient no longer experiences pain with the tooth.
During the second visit, this pulp chamber will be filled in and the root canal will be completed. Most procedures can be done in around in 90 minutes each with two trips to the dentist but this will vary depending upon the severity of the issue.
The dentist has to examine the tooth to see if it is suitable for a root canal. If a tooth is severely damaged or causing problems with other teeth, it may simply have to be extracted. The dentist will usually do everything possible to save the tooth before using any sort of tooth extraction.
Teeth that usually don’t have root canals done to them are the wisdom teeth which are usually just removed. All of the other teeth and especially the molars will usually have a root canal to save the tooth if it is severely damaged.
Summary
When you want to know how long does a root canal take you should speak to your dentist. There are many factors that will determine how long the procedure for a root canal is going to take the dentist to finish.
This procedure is usually only done when the tooth is severely damaged and that there is a lot of pain or decay present. Once you have a root canal done you won’t feel any more pain in that tooth because the nerve endings in the pulp have been removed. Most root canals should last a long time but in some cases, you might need another one.
Not sure if you need a root canal, contact our office to schedule a consultation.