People who need endodontic treatment have an infection in the soft dental pulp which lies within the hard layers of the tooth. An infection in the pulp can be extremely painful, and the tooth itself can die. Endodontic treatment requires your dentist to remove the infected, injured or dead pulp from a tooth. After removing the pulp, the root canals are cleaned, sterilised and shaped to a form that can be completely sealed with a filling material to prevent further infection.

Root canal treatment is performed over a series of two appointments. A good dentist should constantly strive to make these appointments as comfortable as possible for all patients. The first way to achieve this is by guaranteeing that patients do not feel pain during their appointment. Contrary to any stories, your dentist should do not begin treatment until the tooth is completely numb. Patients feel nothing more than during a regular filling. Check that your dentist will guarantee the highest level of quality in every endodontic treatment that is performed. Regularly attending continuing education seminars to ensure that the latest procedures and equipment is being utilized is also preferable, as is using a combination of state of the art equipment to guarantee optimal results.

A great dentist will also strive to enhance patient comfort by spending time with patients and listening to their concerns. They should always rather take the extra time to talk with patients, fully explain treatment and answer any questions they might have. All patients have different requirements and no patient should feel “rushed through” or “just another patient”. This means that any treatment, including root canal can be relaxing for patients. In a good dental practice, it’s actually possible for a number of patients to fall asleep during their treatment.

It has long been known that a whiter smile is more appealing to people. Teeth whitening has been practiced since ancient times, and may of the more natural ways of whitening teeth are used today, by regulating one’s diet to ensure a clean, bright smile! Certainly, there are ways to whiten your teeth with gels, strips, and pens, but another great tool is food. That’s right, foods can either help or hurt your teeth, depending on how they are eaten and what you’re eating. It is best to not drink coffee, tea, colas or red wine, which are all known to stain teeth and cause some decay of the enamel. Apples and potatoes can cause discoloration, but they also tend to clean off the teeth. Just wash your mouth out after eating apples.

Strawberries can be made into a puree and smothered on the teeth, as strawberries have a natural enzyme that removes tooth stains. Orange peels can be used to remove tooth stains, just by rubbing the inside of a peel against your tooth surfaces. A little lemon juice and salt work very well to remove stains just wash your mouth out with this, or even rock salt and warm water will work at night to remove stains. Baking soda has long been known to work wonders on your smile. It may taste awful, but put some baking soda on your toothbrush, brush with it, and then wash your mouth out. Also, if you are a tobacco user, stop or slow down your tobacco use, as both dipping and smoking can cause tooth discoloration. Avoid mouthwash, as it sometimes will stain teeth. Finally, remember that an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure. Going to the dentist once or twice a year for a cleaning and checkup will do your smile wonders.