Cosmetic/Esthetic dental treatment, sometimes also known as Smile Designing/Smile Makeover consists of various procedures to improve the esthetic quality of teeth at the same time, maintaining the function of the whole oral cavity.
Teeth Whitening (bleaching), Restoration of broken or discoloured teeth, closing gaps between teeth, Dental Bonding, Tooth coloured fillings, Laminates/Veneers, All-ceramic Crowns, alignment of crooked teeth are some of the treatments which come under this category.
What to expect when you undergo root canal treatment?
A root canal treatment or RCT is a procedure in which the root canals of the affected tooth are cleaned, enlarged, disinfected, and filled. This treatment is done if you are experiencing severe pain due to an infection or exposure to the pulp of the tooth due to deep decay. The number of sittings for RCT ranges from a single sitting up to 4-5 sittings depending upon the severity of infection.
First, local anesthesia will be administered through an injection so that the whole procedure is painless and comfortable. After the anesthesia is profound, the dentist starts accessing the pulp of the tooth and cleaning up canals with different instruments mainly the dental drill and a lot of small instruments called files, washing and irrigating the tooth from time to time in between.
The tooth is filled with a temporary material between the sittings. Once the tooth is completely cleaned and disinfected, the canals are filled with an inert material and the tooth itself is filled with a permanent filling. It is always advisable to cover the root canal-treated tooth with a cap to reinforce the tooth so that it resumes its function properly.
There might be little dull pain after undergoing the first or second appointment of the RCT due to instrumentation; which is normal. The dentist may prescribe some painkillers and antibiotics to alleviate the pain. Rinsing with lukewarm saltwater also helps. In a nutshell, RCT is a safe and effective treatment modality aimed at removing the root cause of dental pain. It is done painlessly and is nothing to be anxious about.