Is a Root Canal Painful?
Root canals are infamous. They are supposedly the benchmark for the most unpleasant experiences in life. When people want to say that an experience was really bad and excruciatingly painful, they will compare them to a root canal. You have to understand that the reputation of root canals goes back a long time, and has been passed down through our culture like a legend, and doesn’t reflect the reality of modern root canals. The first root canals were performed in the mid-eighteenth century, more than 100 years before modern dental anesthesia was demonstrated. A root canal involves the extraction of the nerve of the tooth, the part of the tooth that registers pain, so you can bet that if this procedure were performed without anesthesia you would feel a lot of pain. But that’s not how we do things today. Today, most people report that the pain of a root canal is far less than the pain they have been dealing with because of their infected tooth. Pain Control for Root Canals Today, we have many methods for effectively controlling pain during your root canal procedure. We can utilize topical anesthesia first so you don’t even feel the prick of the needle that injects anesthesia that can completely numb the area where the root canal is being performed. Nerve blocks can be used to numb an entire branch of your nerves to create a more widespread anesthesia effect. For people with extensive need for treatment or reasons why it might be beneficial, we can use general anesthesia to completely eliminate pain sensations during the root canal procedure. After your root canal, we have many options for pain medications, though most people don’t need it. With the tooth nerve gone, most of the potential for pain has been removed, and you’ll feel sensitivity related to the pressure on the tooth from removing enamel and entering the tooth interior. Lingering discomfort from a root canal may be no worse than that of getting a dental crown. Variables That Affect Your Level of Pain It’s important to remember that pain is subjective and varies greatly from person to person. Your level of discomfort will vary depending on: Personal sensitivity Your attitude to pain Your level of anxiety The structure of your tooth and the exact treatment needed To attempt to gauge your level of sensitivity, we will talk to you about your pain experiences during prior dental work. We will also talk to you during the procedure and adjust medication as necessary to achieve a minimum of discomfort. Don’t let fear keep you from getting necessary dental treatment. For more information about sedation dentistry in Denver, please contact Ascent Dental in Cherry Creek.
Treating White Spots on Teeth
Most of the time, we think of discolored teeth as being darkened by stains, but it’s actually very common for people to get discolored white spots on teeth. These are often early signs of decay. If properly cared for, they are not necessarily damaging, but many people find them unattractive and want to remove them to improve the appearance of their teeth. What Are White Spots on Teeth? White spots on teeth are demineralizations. This means that there is a defect in the enamel of the teeth, where some of the mineral content has been removed or hasn’t properly been built. Common causes of white spots include: Braces Oral decay Fluorosis Erosion Hypocalcification Tetracycline staining Trauma In some cases, demineralization may be a warning sign of poor oral hygiene, but in other cases, it may be unrelated. When this demineralization occurs, it changes the color and luster of tooth enamel. If you look closely, you will notice that the spots aren’t just a little whiter than the rest of your tooth—they reflect light differently, too. Treating White Spots First, we will talk about the causes of your white spots and determine whether changes to oral hygiene or lifestyle might be necessary to prevent future white spots. Next, we will discuss your treatment options. There are many ways to treat white spots. Sometimes tooth whitening can help your teeth blend in better with the white spots. Other times, the tooth might be damaged enough that it’s best to treat the white spot as the cavity it is, with a tooth-colored filling. We might try fluoride or amorphous calcium phosphate treatments to encourage remineralization of the white spots. A relatively new treatment for white spots was announced in 2009. Icon, short for infiltration concept, which allows resin—tooth-colored filling material–to be sucked into the tooth like water is sucked into a sponge. This resin is then hardened, creating a more uniform tooth appearance. If you are unhappy about white spots on your teeth, we can help. Please call (303) 975-6987 or email us for an appointment at Ascent Dental in the Cherry Creek area of Denver.