Root Canal Therapy

Do you have a painful or decayed tooth? Our practice provides excellent endodontic care. Root canals are dental procedures used to treat infected or damaged tooth pulp. During a root canal, the dentist removes the infected tissue, cleans the inside of the tooth, disinfects it, and then seals it to prevent further infection.

It’s a common procedure to save a tooth that might otherwise need to be extracted. While the term might sound scary, advances in dentistry have made the process more comfortable than it used to be, often causing minimal discomfort. It is also important to note that a crown is often recommended after a root canal procedure. Placing a crown over the treated tooth helps to protect it from further damage and restores its strength and function.

Once a tooth’s nerve or pulp gets damaged, it disintegrates. Bacteria start multiplying in the pulp chamber. It could cause an abscessed tooth or an infection. An abscess is a pocket that forms at the tips of the tooth’s roots. It occurs after an infection spreads beyond a tooth’s roots. Moreover, a root canal infection could cause;

• Bone loss near the root’s tip.
• A drainage complication that spreads to the gums. A hole could appear at the tooth’s side draining waste into an individual’s gums or skin.
• An intense swelling of the face, head, and neck.

A tooth’s nerves tissue could be infected, inflamed and irritated due to a crack in the tooth, large fillings, severe decay or facial trauma.

A root canal treatment can require several visits to our office. Dentists or endodontists can perform endodontic therapy. An endodontist specializes in the causes, diagnosis, mitigation, and treatment of nerve or pulp infections and injuries. A patient’s choice of the preferred dentist depends on the complexity of the required root canal therapy.

Once a patient visits us, we start with an X-ray. It enables us to have a clear view of their root canals and analyzing any visible signs of infection in adjacent bones. We then numb the tooth area with anesthesia to relax the patient.

To get rid of saliva throughout the therapy, we insulate the affected tooth with a rubber dam. A dentist then drills a hole in the tooth. We then remove decayed nerves, debris and the pulp from the tooth. We use root canal files to clean the infected tooth. To scrub a root canal’s sides, your dentist may place several files inside the access hole up to the roots. They later flush debris with a sodium hypochlorite solution.

Once your dentist cleans the tooth, the seal it. It could be done immediately or after a week. For instance, if a severe infection occurs, a dentist could clean the tooth with oral medication. In case the root canal treatment doesn’t end in a day, they place a removable filling in the access hole to block contaminants such as food.

During the following appointment, an endodontist fills the tooth’s cavity with gutta percha or a sealer paste. They place a filling to seal the access hole. The final procedure comprises of restoring the tooth. A tooth requiring a root canal often will need an extensive filling or a crown. It should be protected from breaking for it to function correctly.