What is root canal therapy?
Root canal therapy is a procedure to treat a tooth with decay, damage, or infection in its inner tissues, also known as pulp. Dr. Hernandez removes the decayed pulp and replaces it with special materials to prevent the spread of infection and restore the tooth’s health.
The only other options for treating damaged or decayed pulp is to extract the tooth entirely, which creates problems for your adjacent teeth and overall oral health. A root canal offers a more conservative treatment option.
What are the reasons for getting root canal therapy?
Dr. Hernandez might suggest root canal therapy if you have decay that’s reached all the way to your tooth’s inner tissues. You might also need a root canal if your tooth has been significantly injured or damaged, or if you have an infection or an abscess inside your tooth or at the root tip.
Do I need a root canal?
You need a root canal if you have infected, damaged, or decayed tooth pulp, which can produce any of the following symptoms:
- Severe toothache
- Increased sensitivity to hot and cold
- Darkness or discoloration in your tooth
- Pus around your gumline
- Abscess or small pimple on your gums
- Swelling or tenderness in your mouth
- Foul taste in your mouth or persistently bad breath
Sometimes, you might need a root canal without showing any particular symptoms. Therefore, it’s important to maintain regular dental exam visits with Dr. Hernandez to make sure that your oral health is optimal.
What happens in a root canal procedure?
First, Dr. Hernandez isolates your tooth and protects the rest of your mouth with a rubber dental dam. Then, he drills a small hole in the top of your tooth to get access to the inside and uses a series of root canal files to remove the decayed pulp within.
After he’s finished cleaning your tooth, a special dental material called gutta-percha is used to fill the inside. He also fills in the access opening at the top of your tooth and finishes the procedure by giving you a dental crown to keep your tooth strong and protected.
Is a root canal painful?
Root canals have a reputation as being painful procedures, but those are largely exaggerations. In modern dentistry, a root canal isn’t any more uncomfortable than a routine dental filling. Dr. Hernandez uses a local anesthetic to keep your mouth numb throughout the procedure, so you shouldn’t feel any pain.
Schedule your root canal with Dr. Hernandez today by calling the office or using the online booking tool.
