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So, like everyone probably already knows I had to get a root canal today. Its my own fault really, in 2 ways. 1) I should floss more because they are my only teeth and once you lose them, they're gone for good. And B) if I had gone to the dentist back last summer when I first got my GE insurance, I would have had to get/pay for a cavity and not a root canal. Since I'm a dork and asked the Dentists tons of questions, I will share my new found knowledge of teeth and decay with you. (I know that sounds disgusting...sorry)
So basically, a cavity is when the enamel on your teeth gets eaten away by acid. ACID you say. Yes, acid. There are bacteria naturally all over your mouth, and they feed on the sugar you eat. This is why Antibacterial Mouthwash is a very good thing. Roughly every 24 hours they attach and start to eat sugar, and their waste product is Acid. So if you don't floss enough and you don't use mouthwash and you don't go see your dentist regularly like you should, then the cavity gets bigger and bigger and once the cavity hits the nerve it becomes exposed and a Root canal is necessary. That is why they get hot/cold sensitive and can I guess throb and stuff. Mine was cold sensitive but that was it.
So basically, its pretty easy to fix...and its not painful at all. They drill down to the nerve and then they core out the nerve endings. The nerve is the part that gets enflamed and bacteria starts to grow in it. Its a living part of the tooth, so once you remove it the hole would be able to fill up with bacteria again and you could have problems again. So, and this is interesting, they fill the hole with warm rubber. So they stuff it in there and as it dries it permanently fills in the cracks at the bottom. Then they fill in the tooth with cavity filling stuff, and they put a crown on the tooth. They have to do that because with the nerve gone, the tooth will get brittle.
So yeah, that's it. I haven't gotten my crown yet, but they did the drilling/rubber things today. So my jaw is sore from holding it open so long but that is it. This was really weird too....During the course of talking to the Dental Hygienist today (she cleans your teeth) I found out that she graduated from Manual in 1998. Just two years before me. And even weirder, she was in band over at YPAS. I kept trying to think back and figure out who she was, but then she said she stopped band her Junior year, which would have been my Freshman year, so I missed her by a year. So she switched from YPAS, to Visual Arts, and then went to school and became a Dental Hygienist. How strange is that. Anyway, after grossing you out thoroughly I'll stop posting. This was kinda fun, so I guess I'll try it again some other time soon.
So basically, a cavity is when the enamel on your teeth gets eaten away by acid. ACID you say. Yes, acid. There are bacteria naturally all over your mouth, and they feed on the sugar you eat. This is why Antibacterial Mouthwash is a very good thing. Roughly every 24 hours they attach and start to eat sugar, and their waste product is Acid. So if you don't floss enough and you don't use mouthwash and you don't go see your dentist regularly like you should, then the cavity gets bigger and bigger and once the cavity hits the nerve it becomes exposed and a Root canal is necessary. That is why they get hot/cold sensitive and can I guess throb and stuff. Mine was cold sensitive but that was it.
So basically, its pretty easy to fix...and its not painful at all. They drill down to the nerve and then they core out the nerve endings. The nerve is the part that gets enflamed and bacteria starts to grow in it. Its a living part of the tooth, so once you remove it the hole would be able to fill up with bacteria again and you could have problems again. So, and this is interesting, they fill the hole with warm rubber. So they stuff it in there and as it dries it permanently fills in the cracks at the bottom. Then they fill in the tooth with cavity filling stuff, and they put a crown on the tooth. They have to do that because with the nerve gone, the tooth will get brittle.
So yeah, that's it. I haven't gotten my crown yet, but they did the drilling/rubber things today. So my jaw is sore from holding it open so long but that is it. This was really weird too....During the course of talking to the Dental Hygienist today (she cleans your teeth) I found out that she graduated from Manual in 1998. Just two years before me. And even weirder, she was in band over at YPAS. I kept trying to think back and figure out who she was, but then she said she stopped band her Junior year, which would have been my Freshman year, so I missed her by a year. So she switched from YPAS, to Visual Arts, and then went to school and became a Dental Hygienist. How strange is that. Anyway, after grossing you out thoroughly I'll stop posting. This was kinda fun, so I guess I'll try it again some other time soon.
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