Tough Luck.

Sunday, July 17, 2011 0 Comments

Serious toothache hit me this week! It was so terrible that it radiates up my head causing migraine, to the left causing pain in the ear and down to my lower jaw. It was so terrible that Ponstan (mefenamic acid) doesnt help at all & thus result in me taking stronger painkiller, synflex.

The pain invaded me the entire 2 days (Wednesday & Thursday) & it will start invading me again every 6 hours after the medication effect wears off. My first ever toothache & i wouldnt want it to happen on me anymore!

Visited the dentist & fuck, i shared the same fate as a friend of mine, Christine!

Out of everyone, its me! Im so down to luck man! This year is the worst year ever! Every part of me gives me problem every now & then. I spent more than 1K on medical consultations & investigation this year already. Im really broke now, so please, could i be free of medical attention? 

Made a trip down to another dentist for second opinion yesterday & yes, i hit the jackpot! I fucking need root canal treatment! This treatment is not very cheap, cost around 1K or more or even up to 2K. And it takes like a few session to complete treatment.

What is root canal treatment?

Root canal therapy refers to the process where a dentist treats the interior aspects of a tooth, specifically, that space occupied by its "pulp tissue."

Most people would probably refer to a tooth's pulp tissue as its "nerve," However, doing so is only partially accurate. While pulp tissue does contain nerve fibers, it is also composed of arteries, veins, lymph vessels, and connective tissue.

Where precisely in a tooth is its nerve?

Teeth are not solid objects. Inside every tooth there lies a hollow space that contains its nerve tissue. Dentists use the following terms to refer to various portions of this nerve space:

Serious toothache hit me this week! It was so terrible that it radiates up my head causing migraine, to the left causing pain in the ear and down to my lower jaw. It was so terrible that Ponstan (mefenamic acid) doesnt help at all & thus result in me taking stronger painkiller, synflex.

The pain invaded me the entire 2 days (Wednesday & Thursday) & it will start invading me again every 6 hours after the medication effect wears off. My first ever toothache & i wouldnt want it to happen on me anymore!

Visited the dentist & fuck, i shared the same fate as a friend of mine, Christine!

Out of everyone, its me! Im so down to luck man! This year is the worst year ever! Every part of me gives me problem every now & then. I spent more than 1K on medical consultations & investigation this year already. Im really broke now, so please, could i be free of medical attention? 

Made a trip down to another dentist for second opinion yesterday & yes, i hit the jackpot! I fucking need root canal treatment! This treatment is not very cheap, cost around 1K or more or even up to 2K. And it takes like a few session to complete treatment.

What is root canal treatment?

Root canal therapy refers to the process where a dentist treats  the interior aspects of a tooth, specifically, that space occupied by  its "pulp tissue."    

Most people would probably refer to a tooth's pulp tissue as its  "nerve," However, doing so is only partially accurate. While pulp  tissue does contain nerve fibers, it is also composed of arteries,  veins, lymph vessels, and connective tissue.

Where precisely in a tooth is its nerve?

Teeth are not solid objects. Inside every tooth there lies a hollow space that contains its nerve tissue. Dentists use the following terms to refer to various portions of this nerve space:

A) The pulp chamber.This is the hollow area that lies, more or less, in the center of the tooth's crown (that part of the tooth positioned above its gum line).

B) The root canals.
A tooth's root canals run from the apex (tip) of its root up to its pulp chamber. The layout of the nerve space inside different types of teeth is quite different.

Teeth always have just one pulp chamber but the number of individual root canals that they have can vary widely. As a norm, teeth usually have either 1, 2, or 3 roots (but they can have more). And any one root is usually expected.

What is the purpose / function of a tooth's nerve?

A tooth with completed root canal treatment. You don't really get as much "feeling" from the nerve as you might expect. A tooth's nerve tissue does have a sensory function. But this role is probably different from what you expect. Under normal circumstances the nerve tissue inside our teeth provides us with very little information.

Yes, when subjected to pressure or temperature extremes, or exposed to severe insult (like advancing tooth decay or the formation of a crack), teeth do respond with a painful sensation. But under normal circumstances, the nerves inside our teeth remain relatively "quiet."

You might think that if you push on your teeth with your finger, or else close them together, you feel a pressure sensation because of their nerve. Actually, this sensation comes from the nerve fibers found in the ligament that surrounds the root, not from inside the tooth itself.

This implies then, from a standpoint of the normal functions we perform with our teeth, that the presence of live nerve tissue inside them is pretty much optional. If its present and healthy, then wonderful. But if a tooth has had its nerve removed as a part of root canal treatment, then that's fine too. You will never miss it.

Early on, a tooth's nerve tissue plays an important role in the formation and development of the tooth. Then, once it has formed, the function of this tissue becomes one of helping to preserve the tooth's health and vitality.

The nerve tissue helps to keep the organic components of the tooth's mineralized tissues (dentin and enamel) supplied with nutrients and moisture. It also produces new tooth structure (reparative dentin) as is needed to help to wall off and protect the nerve from insult or injury (such as advancing tooth decay).

The root canal treatment. 

A) Placing the rubber dam.

After numbing you up, but before beginning the actual process of performing your treatment, your dentist will need to "isolate" your tooth. To do this, they will first punch a small hole in a sheet of rubber. They will then slip this sheet over your tooth and position a small tooth clamp to hold it there.

The purpose of a rubber dam is as follows. One of the fundamental goals of root canal therapy is removing bacteria and contaminates from within a tooth. Since saliva contains contaminates, placement of a rubber dam allows the dentist to keep the tooth saliva-free, so they can be effective in their efforts.

B) Creating the access cavity.

As a starting point for performing your treatment, your dentist must first gain access to the nerve space within your tooth. They do this by using their dental drill to create an access cavity. This hole will extend into the interior of the tooth to its pulp chamber. It's the hole through which your dentist will perform their work.

On posterior teeth, the access cavity is made on the chewing surface of the tooth. On front teeth, the access hole is made on the tooth's backside.

C) Cleaning and shaping the tooth's root canals.

The next step of the root canal process involves "cleaning and shaping" the interior of your tooth (the pulp chamber and all root canals). In regard to the cleaning process, its purpose is to remove bacteria, toxins, nerve tissue, and related debris that are harbored inside the tooth.

The shaping process refers to how the tooth's canals are enlarged and flared, so the have a shape that facilitates the filling and sealing process.

D) Sealing the tooth - Placing the filling material.

Once the interior of the tooth has been thoroughly cleansed and properly shaped, it is ready to be sealed (have its hollow interior filled in). In some cases, the dentist will want to place the filling material immediately after they have finished cleaning the tooth. With other cases, they may feel that it is best to wait about a week before performing this procedure.

In the latter case, your dentist will need to place a temporary filling in your tooth, so to keep contaminates out during the time period between your appointments.


What type of root canal filling material is used?

Filling and sealing a tooth's root canals. The most frequently used root canal filling material is a rubber compound called gutta percha. It comes in preformed cones whose dimensions match the size (diameter, taper) of the files that have been used to shape the tooth's canals.

A root canal sealer (a paste) is usually used with the gutta percha. It is either applied to a cone's surface before it is placed into a canal, or else applied inside the root canal itself before the cone is inserted. Several individual cones of gutta percha may be needed to fully fill the interior of the tooth.

A dentist may warm the gutta percha (either before or after it has been placed into the tooth) to soften it. This way it can be molded to closely adapt to the shape of the tooth's interior.

As an alternative, a dentist may place the gutta percha via the use of a "gun." This apparatus is somewhat similar to a hot-glue gun. It warms a tube of gutta percha. The softened material can then be squeezed out into the tooth.

Once your dentist has finished sealing your tooth, they will place a temporary filling, so to seal off the access cavity created at the beginning of your treatment.


E) The root canal process is now complete but your tooth still requires additional work.

At this point, while the individual steps of performing the root canal process have been finished, your tooth's treatment is not yet complete. A permanent restoration must still be placed. Choosing the right type of dental restoration, and having it placed promptly, will help to insure the long-term success of your tooth's endodontic therapy.

Frankly speaking, im really so scared. Will be starting my first treatment this coming Tue with a special rate from my dentist! Im lucky i know someone whom is into this root canal treatment! I hope everything is gonna be alright. I hope i chose the correct dental surgeon! God bless!

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