No one likes consistent toothaches, so as daunting as a root canal may sound, it is often the best choice for your long-term wellbeing. This is one of the most common dental procedures and has been perfected at our office for your comfort and convenience. Common warning signs of a tooth that may need a root canal are extreme sensitivity to hot and cold. The pulp acts as a warning system, so intense tooth pain may be your body’s way of telling you that something’s wrong with this portion of the tooth.
As stated before, a root canal may be necessary when the pulp of a tooth becomes inflamed or irritated. While the pulp may be the lifeblood of the tooth, a fully grown tooth can survive without it. In fact, it’s better to have no pulp than an infected pulp sitting in your tooth.
During a root canal, you will receive anesthesia so that you don’t experience any pain or discomfort. We then isolate the infected tooth and drill a hole down to the pulp. From there, any diseased pulp or tissue is removed from the tooth to prevent further infection and pain.
After the infected pulp and tissue are removed, we can’t leave a hole in your tooth leading down to the most sensitive area. To fix this, we fill the open space with a filling and add a crown to cap the tooth.
If well taken care of, your repaired tooth should be fine long-term. Root canals are really important because the goal of endodontic services is to save your natural teeth. While science has come a long way and created magnificent artificial teeth, the best tooth is the one you grew yourself. We want to make it possible to enjoy your natural teeth without suffering the pain and discomfort of infection.