Root Canals Patients sometimes come to us with an infected tooth, or a tooth that has required multiple procedures in the past. For these reasons and other various dental traumas, we may recommend a root canal. This is a procedure designed to save most of the natural tooth while removing the damaged or decayed dental pulp. The dental pulp is the core of the tooth that connects it to the gum and allows for blood flow. We can provide additional information on root canals here at Wy'East Dental.Symptoms of Dental Pulp InfectionA dental pulp infection may look very similar to the symptoms you experience with gum disease. Our dentist will need to visually examine your teeth and take x-rays to fully diagnose your condition. Some of these symptoms include inflammation in various parts of the face, pus draining from your gums, severe tooth pain or sensitivity, sores on the gums, chips or cracks in your tooth, and gum discoloration. Root Canal ProcedureOur dentist begins the procedure by providing you with a local anesthetic. In the case of severe dental pulp infection, it is possible that your tooth's nerve has died, in which case you may not feel anything. A local anesthetic is always used as a precaution to ensure your comfort. We then dry the area and place a dental dam around the infected tooth. This prevents debris and saliva from getting into the exposed tooth during the root canal. Our dentist will drill decayed tooth material and take out the dental pulp using a variety of dental instruments. We also use root canal files to finish shaping the canal and ensure that all dental pulp tissue has been removed. Our dentist uses a cleaning solution to flush the canal. In some cases, you will need to take antibiotics to get rid of any remaining bacteria before we can finalize the procedure. If this happens, we will provide you with a temporary filling to protect the core of your tooth. Teeth are not always filled after root canals. Rather, they may simply be sealed, but our dentist will determine this at the time of your procedure. To fill the tooth, we use a substance called gutta-percha. This material is similar to rubber, but it can harden completely so that it feels like part of a natural tooth. For extensive damage, we might recommend placing a permanent crown to cover your tooth as well. HealingHealing after root canals is quite simple. You should only notice symptoms for a couple of days; let us know if they continue past that. After the procedure, your gums will feel numb for several hours. For a few days, you may feel slightly tender in the area surrounding the tooth. You should avoid hard or sticky foods until you are fully healed. This is because they can damage a temporary filling or crown, and they can be somewhat painful to eat while your gums recover. Over-the-counter pain medicine is effective in treating these symptoms. Make sure you continue to brush and floss your teeth each day. For additional information on root canals, call Wy'East Dental at (503) 919-2802. |
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