Root Canals

Root Canals

Do you have a toothache that throbs day and night? Does it hurt when you consume something hot or cold? Is the gum tissue surrounding a certain tooth painful and swollen?

These are all signs that a root canal may be necessary.

Tooth pulp can become infected for many reasons, such as untreated cavities or bacterial invasion via cracked enamel.

Removing it during a root canal procedure will eliminate both pain and infection and allow you to keep the natural tooth structure.

What does root canal therapy entail?

With most root canal treatments, two visits are necessary. During the first appointment, we will numb the treatment area before opening the tooth and cleaning out all infected pulp. Before sealing the tooth with a temporary filling, we will place medication in the empty root canal to prevent further infection.

During the second visit we take out the temporary filling, replace it with a permanent one, and re-seal the tooth. If the tooth is especially fragile, we will recommend covering it with a crown for further protection.

As the treatment area heals, it is important to brush and floss every day, avoid sugary food and drink, and return to our office for regular checkups. These preventative measures keep the rest of your teeth healthy and strong and reduce the need for future root canal therapy.