Root Canal therapy

What is a root canal?

A root canal is a simple treatment (therapy) that saves a tooth when its pulp has become infected. The pulp is at the center of your tooth and is a collection of blood vessels that helps to build the surrounding tooth. Infection of the pulp can be caused by trauma to the tooth, deep decay, cracks and chips, or repeated dental procedures. Various symptoms of the infection may include visible injury or swelling of the tooth and sensitivity to temperature or pain in the tooth or gums.

How is a root canal performed?

If you experience any of these symptoms, we will most likely recommend treatment to eliminate the diseased pulp. We use local anesthesia to eliminate discomfort before we remove the injured pulp and thoroughly clean and seal the root canal system. This therapy is usually completed in one or more visits, depending on the extent of the treatment required. Success for this type of treatment occurs in about 90% of cases.

Most patients are able to drive home after treatment and comfortably return to normal activity right away. 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.

What happens after root canal treatment?

When your root canal therapy has been completed, we keep a record of your treatment at our office and schedule a follow-up appointment to fabricate a crown within a few weeks. The endodontic patients, in most cases, will be given antibiotics and medication for pain management after routine endodontic treatment to aid in the healing process.