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What is Involved in a Front Tooth Root Canal?

C.B. Fox
C.B. Fox

Though less common than a root canal performed on a rear tooth, a front tooth root canal is still a common dental procedure. An infection in the pulp of the tooth necessitates the procedure, which, when completed, almost always saves the affected tooth for the duration of the patient’s life. The idea of a root canal may cause fear of pain and a long, involved ordeal, but the reality is that these procedures are often not much more uncomfortable than receiving a filling.

The dentist begins by taking an x-ray of the affected tooth. Once the dentist knows the layout of the interior of the tooth, the exterior of it will be isolated from the rest of the mouth using a rubber guard. This helps keep the tooth dry and sanitary while the front tooth root canal procedure is performed.

X-rays of the teeth will be taken prior to a front tooth root canal.
X-rays of the teeth will be taken prior to a front tooth root canal.

A hole is drilled into the back surface of the affected tooth. This hole gives the dentist access to the root canal, which is cleaned out using a series of small files. The dentist inserts a file down the entire length of the root, scraping out the infected debris. Periodically, the dentist will stop filing and use a wash comprised of a cleaner, usually dilute bleach, to flush loosened debris from the root canal.

During a front tooth root canal, a hole is drilled into the back surface of the affected tooth.
During a front tooth root canal, a hole is drilled into the back surface of the affected tooth.

Once the tooth has been cleaned, the pulp and nerve of the tooth are completely removed. Though this means the tooth does not have any feeling, such as a sensation of hot or cold, removing the nerve does not have a significant effect on the health of the tooth once it is finished growing. The tooth is filled with a compound that helps strengthen it while keeping any future infection from developing.

A cross section of a tooth.
A cross section of a tooth.

The tooth needs to be sealed off once the front tooth root canal is completed. This is usually done with a filling though it is possible to attach a crown. Front tooth crowns are usually made of all-ceramic or all-porcelain materials in order to give them the same look as the other teeth, though it is possible to put a metal crown on a front tooth. The tooth may receive a temporary filling or crown after the front tooth root canal procedure if the dentist determines that it would be better to wait a week to fix the tooth permanently.

Discussion Comments

anon990269

Since the sounds of going to the dentist mainly the drilling noise are probably 50 percent of the pain (psychologically), why don't they allow ear muffs or ear plugs to be worn by patient?

anon948193

@ MrsPramm: That's why they invented sedation! If you take oral sedation (triazolam) you will not remember the appointment, or getting home from it! Then you sleep for about six hours after! It's great stuff!

croydon

@MrsPramm - If you know someone who is putting it off, please tell them to get it done as soon as possible. People don't consider a root canal infection to be a real threat, but it's an infection just like any other. And any infection can cause health problems, or even threaten your life if you don't treat it properly.

MrsPramm

@irontoenail - Even if it isn't painful, the root canal process is not fun at all. I don't think it's anything like just getting a filling. It takes a couple of hours and you're having to sit there with your mouth open the whole time, listening to the drill and the scraping and feeling the pressure, if not the pain, of the dentist removing the root of your tooth.

I'm sure it ends up being a relief for a lot of people in the end, because an infected tooth is extremely painful as well, but there's a good reason people put them off for a long time.

irontoenail

I suspect that people think of getting a root canal as being the worst thing that can happen at a dentist because it used to be a lot more painful. Imagine having a living nerve removed without anesthesia and you can see why people would dread them.

But pain killers are so good now it's essentially the same as any other procedure at the dentist, and if it's done properly, it will probably stop hurting sooner than procedures like wisdom tooth removal.

If you have ongoing pain after a root canal it's likely that something went wrong. Very few dentists are perfect, so if you suspect that something has gone wrong, don't be afraid to speak up about it.

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    • X-rays of the teeth will be taken prior to a front tooth root canal.
      By: Vojtech Vlk
      X-rays of the teeth will be taken prior to a front tooth root canal.
    • During a front tooth root canal, a hole is drilled into the back surface of the affected tooth.
      By: sheriffos
      During a front tooth root canal, a hole is drilled into the back surface of the affected tooth.
    • A cross section of a tooth.
      By: Andrea Danti
      A cross section of a tooth.
    • Nitrous oxide is sometimes used during a root canal procedure.
      By: dmitrimaruta
      Nitrous oxide is sometimes used during a root canal procedure.
    • Root canals are not much more uncomfortable than receiving a filling.
      By: Pavel Losevsky
      Root canals are not much more uncomfortable than receiving a filling.