People sometimes ignore a subtle pain in their tooth for a long time. This allows a small bacterial infection to grow into a large one. It may travel from the pulp in the center of the tooth down into the root area. Tooth roots are planted deep in the jaw and contain nerves and blood vessels. That’s why the pain is so severe. A person’s general dentist may take an x-ray and diagnose the problem as an infected tooth root. Because the infection has spread into the jaw, the dentist may decide that the patient should see one of the root canal specialist in Fairfield County CT.
These oral surgeons will know how to treat both the tooth root and the infected bone. He will take an advanced digital x-ray with a cone beam scanner to get a detailed look at the infected tooth root. While these are powerful imaging tools, they do not expose the patient to large amounts of radiation. After reviewing the x-ray, the oral surgeon may prescribe a broad spectrum antibiotic to reduce the level of infection. It can take from three to ten days for the antibiotic to work. Root canal specialist in Fairfield County CT may also prescribe painkillers to help reduce the patient’s discomfort.
Once the infection has been reduced the oral surgeon drills a hole in the top of the tooth to expose the root. He then takes long and flexible scrapers to clean out the infection. The tooth root is so narrow, these look like thin needles. When he is finished he inserts a medicated filling. The patient returns in about 10 days. If there is no sign of infection, the oral surgeon packs the tooth root with a permanent filling.
The upper portion of the tooth probably sustained substantial damage from both the infection and the root canal. The surgeon will have to stabilize it with a dental crown. This procedure can take from one to three visits depending upon the material and method used to create the crown. Elke Cheung Dentistry are one of the oral surgery practices in Fairfield County CT that perform these procedures.