NONSURGICAL ROOT CANAL
What is a root canal?
A root canal is one of the most common dental procedures performed. This simple treatment can save your natural teeth and prevent the need of dental implants or bridges.
At the center of every tooth is pulp (the living tissue inside the tooth). Pulp is a collection of blood vessels and nerves that helps to build the internal tooth structure. Irritation of the pulp can be caused by trauma to the tooth, deep cavity, chips, cracks, or routine dental procedures. Symptoms of the pulp injury or infection can be identified as: no symptom, sensitivity to hot and cold or pain in the tooth tenderness and swollen gums.
How is a root canal performed?
Your dentist will most likely recommend non-surgical endodontic treatment to eliminate the diseased pulp if you experience any of the above symptoms. This infected pulp is removed and the root canal system is thoroughly disinfected and filled with special, medicated, dental materials. Root canal therapy usually involves local anesthesia and may be completed in one or more visits depending on the extent of the infection and treatment required. Success for root canal treatment is well above 90 percentile. If your tooth is not amenable to endodontic treatment or the chance of success is unfavorable, you will be informed at the time of consultation or when a complication becomes evident during or after treatment. Many patients believe that removing a tooth that has problems is a better solution than root canal therapy, but what is not realized is that extracting (pulling) a tooth will ultimately be more costly and cause significant problems for adjacent teeth. We use local anesthesia to eliminate discomfort and you will be able to drive home after your treatment, and you probably will be comfortable returning to your normal routine. If you are experiencing nervousness or anxiety regarding your treatment, you may choose to be sedated by simply taking pills, allowing you to relax, in this case we will require you to have a ride to and from our office.
What happens after treatment?
When your root canal therapy has been completed, a comprehensive full color report of your treatment and recommendations will be sent to your restorative dentist. You should contact their office for continue of treatment within weeks of completion of your root canal. Your restorative dentist will decide on what type of restoration is necessary to protect your tooth. It is rare for endodontic patients to experience complications after routine endodontic treatment or microsurgery. If a problem does occur, however, we are available at all times to respond.
