If you are told your decayed and damaged tooth requires root canal therapy and you’ve never had it done before, the procedure may sound scary. But the fact is, it is a very common treatment that is designed to eliminate your tooth pain and preserve your natural tooth. Ultimately, receiving root canal treatment will lead to much improved mouth health.
What is root canal therapy?
Root canal therapy is a procedure that aims to save an infected tooth. That infection may be caused by issues such as a severe cavity, an injury, or a crack. These incidents can cause the nerve and pulp within the tooth to become irritated by bacteria, infected, painful, and inflamed. Indicators that you may need a root canal treatment include a recommendation by your dentist, pain, sensitivity, swelling, bad breath, a strange taste in your mouth, and/or change in the color of your tooth. Be sure to talk to us if you notice any of these red flags!
What to expect during the procedure
If you do need root canal therapy, here’s a quick overview of how it’ll go. The goal of a root canal procedure is to remove the infected material and debris from within your tooth. In short, we will numb the area, drill into the tooth, remove the damaged area, clean it all out, and seal the tooth. After the procedure, you might experience tenderness or discomfort for a few days. Be sure to call us if you need help alleviating the pain, or if the pain does not taper off but actually increases in intensity.
Is it painful?
You can rest assured that our expert team is proficient in performing this common procedure. Unfortunately, a number of myths exist around root canal treatments–the notion that they are incredibly painful is chief among them–but the truth is, with advanced dental techniques, sedation, and numbing agents, a root canal procedure is virtually painless. It is a terrific option to save a tooth affected by severe decay.
More Questions? Ask Us!
Here at Cary Family Dental, we are equipped to handle any dental woes, and we’re always here to help keep your teeth clean and healthy. If you have questions about the root canal procedure, or if you think you may need one, contact us!