Saving an Infected or Decayed Tooth with Root Canal Therapy
There are several symptoms that patients will experience with toothaches, some of them are hot/cold sensitivity, biting pressure sensitivity, and sharp aching pain. These symptoms can be correlated to an infected nerve within the tooth due to a variety of reasons. The dentist will diagnose the toothache and sometimes a root canal is necessary if the nerve is infected. The infection needs to be treated with antibiotics and/or root canal therapy.
Root canal therapy is typically performed in 1-2 visits and is usually treatable in a general dental office with a local anesthetic. The procedure involves cleaning the canals, shaping the canals, and sealing the canals. Once sealed all nerve remnants and infections are gone and the procedure is typically painless due to anesthesia. If a tooth is highly sensitive or painful, the anesthetic may not work as well to numb that tooth and a course of antibiotics may need to be completed before to ensure a painless experience.
Teeth that have had root canals are now more susceptible to breakage and many need to be restored with a full-coverage restoration, such as a crown. Our CBCT technology allows us to plan the procedure digitally before the appointment so we have the BEST knowledge going into the tooth conservatively and appropriately when needed.
Frequently Asked Questions About Root Canal Therapy
See below for our frequently asked root canal therapy questions! Can’t find an answer you’re looking for? Contact us, as we’d love to answer any and all of your questions!
If you have an infected nerve, you will need root canal therapy to help clean the infection out.
After carefully mapping out your plan with our CBCT technology, you will come into your appointment and receive local anesthesia. Then, we will begin the process of cleaning your canals, shaping them, and sealing them to get rid of the infection.
Some common signs of an infection are toothaches, over-sensitivity to hot and cold items, and biting sensitivity.
It is not uncommon to feel some discomfort after a root canal, but due to local anesthesia, you shouldn’t feel any pain during the procedure.
