When a tooth is threatened by severe decay or damage, time is of the essence. If left unaddressed, the problem can grow and lead to health risks, including potential tooth loss or bodily infection. A root canal treatment gives your tooth the defense it needs to stay healthy and eliminate an infection at the source.
By working with a skilled dental health expert, you can have a pain-free treatment that leaves you feeling better than before. Each root canal treatment is conducted in our comfortable atmosphere by an experienced, certified physician to improve your smile’s health and well-being.
What Is a Root Canal?
A root canal is not the terrifying procedure many people grew up hearing about. Instead, it is a restorative treatment that can treat a damaged, decayed, or infected tooth to eliminate painful symptoms. When the inner part of the tooth (the pulp) is exposed to bacteria by decay or damage, infection can occur. Without treatment, patients will only continue to experience worsening symptoms, including pain and swelling.
A root canal goes to the heart of the problem by cleaning out the pulp and sealing off the tooth’s interior. In some ways, it is much like receiving a dental filling, though more complex. The end result: a pain-free tooth free of infection.
Appointment
Advantages & Benefits
If you have an infected or damaged tooth, the sooner you have treatment, the sooner you can experience the benefits of a root canal.
- Symptom Relief: Infections are painful and can turn each day into a struggle. With timely treatment, you can eliminate those symptoms and return to pain-free eating, chewing, and speaking.
- Protect Your Health: Infections rarely are content to stay in one place. Without treatment, a tooth infection can spread to nearby teeth, the gums, or even other parts of the body. Treatment stops it in its tracks.
- Preserve Your Tooth: If an infection kills the tooth’s nerves, it can die and may fall out eventually. Stopping the infection before this critical point is a root canal’s biggest benefit.
- Pain-Free Treatment: Modern dentistry techniques focus on efficiency without the cost of patient discomfort. By using local numbing and precise tools, we can give patients pain-free treatment.
Breaking Down the Process
Depending on your situation, the entire root canal process may take only a single visit. Timely treatment is a key factor, so we gladly see patients for same-day treatment to put their oral health first. The entire treatment can take about 1 hour, though some may be quicker or longer, depending on complexity.
- Consultation: First, we need to check what issues your tooth is having. We examine it to see if it is infected, where the infection is, and what treatment is best suited to addressing the issues.
- Preparing the Tooth: We start with applying local numbing to prevent any pain. Then, we need to get rid of any infected parts of the tooth, including any buildup or decay. We carefully sanitize the interior of the tooth once the pulp is cleared out to create an antiseptic environment.
- Placing the Seal: Sealing off the tooth prevents any bacteria from getting into it to start a new infection.
- Additional Steps: In cases when a significant portion of the tooth is broken off or decayed, we may use a crown to cap the tooth. This tooth-like prosthetic looks just like a natural tooth and restores its appearance. In these cases, we will give you a temporary dental crown, and you can come back to get your permanent, custom-made crown in a week or two.
FAQs
When Do I Need a Root Canal?
If you have a tooth that is infected or at risk of infection, then a root canal is the likely path forward. Some signs that you may need a root canal include:
- Severe tooth or gum pain
- Swollen, discolored, or bleeding gums
- Visible cracks in the tooth
Will a Root Canal Be Permanent?
Most root canal treatments can last years to a lifetime, but oral hygiene is the biggest factor here. Brushing, flossing, and preventing decay or injury will promote longer-lasting benefits.
Will a Root Canal Be Painful?
This is the number one question our patients worry about. We can confidently say that, no, a root canal should not be painful. Our careful use of local numbing prevents any pain, and most patients say the experience feels a little different from a routine dental filling.
Will My Tooth Look Normal After a Root Canal?
Yes! Whether you have a simple seal or a crown cap, we use materials that color match your teeth so they blend in naturally with your original smile.
Book Your Appointment Today
A healthy, symptom-free smile awaits you at Glendora Family Dentistry with a root canal treatment. Contact us to sign up for your appointment today and come in to experience high-quality patient care that leaves you smiling.
Call trusted Glendora dentist, Dr. Desai today at (626) 427-6236 to get a consultation if you need a root canal treatment.
