Endodontic Therapy: Preserve Badly Damaged Teeth with Modern Root Canals
The words “root canal” may have you running for the hills, but these restorative procedures are vital for saving infected or severely damaged teeth. Root canal therapy (RCT) resolves infection in the innermost part of the tooth (dental pulp). Without treatment, an infected tooth causes debilitating pain, widespread infection, and possible tooth loss.
Do you need a root canal in Glendale, Arizona? Welcome to My Dental and Implants for safe, painless, and effective root canals. Dr. Nima Afzalian blends cutting-edge technology with years of experience to administer root canals with superior outcomes.
What are the warning signs for a root canal?
A deep cavity, crack, and faulty dental work are some reasons your tooth may be infected, often causing terrible toothaches. Besides pain, you may need to see a root canal dentist if you experience the following symptoms.
- Tooth sensitivity, especially when eating cold or hot foods
- Tooth discoloration as your pulp chamber begins to die off
- A recurrent pimple-like swelling on your gums
- Swollen gums or face
- Recurrent bad breath despite optimal oral hygiene
Sometimes, an infected tooth may show little or no symptoms at all. When the nerves die off, this may result in the loss of sensation. Without nerve activity, the usual pain associated with tooth infections may disappear, but this doesn’t mean you are off the hook. You still need treatment to remove the diseased pulp chamber to prevent further health complications.
What can I expect from the root canal treatment?
Depending on the complexity of your case, your root canal may involve one to three visits. For each visit, you can expect a comfortable, seamless experience.
Your treatment starts with an examination to determine the extent of damage. Next, we’ll isolate your tooth with a rubber dam to avoid saliva contamination. Since we’ll need to access your dental pulp, we’ll make a small access hole in your tooth.
Instead of manual cleaning tools, we’ll use state-of-the-art laser technology to remove and sterilize the infected pulp tissue and other debris. Laser therapy is gentle, precise, and doesn’t involve fear-invoking drillings and filings.
After thorough cleaning and sterilization, we’ll fill your empty canals with gutta-percha to prevent future infections. The final step is to restore your treated tooth with a crown for durable function and aesthetics.
Debunking Myths: The Truth About Root Canal Therapy
Root canal therapy is a very common procedure. It has a reputation of being undesirable and painful. But when done properly it is actually painless. Every tooth in your mouth is composed of a crown and a root. When a cavity or bacteria penetrates the tooth, the root and its nerves become irritated. As a result, the bacteria within the pulp cavity needs to be removed and cleaned in order to restore the tooth to its healthy state. Following the procedure, the tooth is fragile and consequently is restored with the natural crown for a lifetime of durability. Root canals have a success rate of 95% or greater. Most root canal are diagnosed by patients’ sensitivities to a specific tooth. Be sure to consult your dentist any symptoms or discomfort occur.
What Are Root Canals? Understanding the Procedure
What are root canals? Root canals is basically each tooth that we have, it’s consisted of a nerve and the nerve is in an area in the tooth, which is called pulp chamber. The pulp chamber is consisted of the nerve and all the blood supply that gets into the tooth. When we have extreme cavity and it’s getting into that pulp chamber, the cavity will infect the pulp chamber. As a result of that, your nerve and all the blood supply gets infected, and that’s when you feel that severe hot and cold sensitivity and also throbbing pain that wakes you up at night. At that point, we know that definitely you need a root canal. With the process of the root canal, we basically go in there and remove the infected pulp chamber, which is consisted of the nerve and blood supply, and clean that with chemicals and mechanically, and then we put a filling material in there. Basically, the tooth at this point is no longer alive, but it’s still your natural tooth. It’s a little bit more brittle compared to your natural tooth because the blood supply is not there. But this is a great way to save your teeth and then protect it with a crown.
Are root canals painful?
Many patients often associate root canal treatment with pain, but this could only be the case if we are still decades in the past. Modern anesthetics provide powerful numbing properties to ensure your root canal is no more painful than a cavity filling. Still, you can talk to Dr. Afzalian about sedation dentistry for a pain-free dental experience.
Ready to save your infected tooth with root canal services?
My Dental and Implants stays abreast of modern technologies to ensure your treatments are more effective and safer than ever. If you’d like to save your troubled tooth with root canal therapy, call (623) 300-2550 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Afzalian and the team.
FAQs
How do I know if I need root canal therapy?
Dr. Nima Afzalian and his dedicated team at My Dental and Implants recommend root canal therapy when the soft tissue inside your tooth, also known as pulp, is inflamed or infected. This might occur due to deep decay, a cracked tooth, trauma to the tooth, or when several dental procedures are done on the same tooth.
What are some of the symptoms I might experience?
Some common symptoms that may indicate the need for root canal therapy include persistent pain in the affected tooth, increased sensitivity to both hot and cold temperatures, tenderness or swelling in the gums around the affected tooth, and staining or discoloration of the affected tooth. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, immediately schedule an appointment with Dr. Nima Afzalian for an examination and treatment.
What happens during root canal therapy?
Root canal therapy, also referred to in the dental field as endodontic treatment, is the process of removing infected or inflamed pulp from the inside of your tooth, cleaning and shaping the root canals, and then filling them with a special material. This seals off the canals to prevent future infections.
Is the root canal therapy treatment painful?
Contrary to what most of us believe, root canal therapy is not as painful as most people think. In fact, it is usually no more uncomfortable than getting a regular filling. Dr. Nima Afzalian will use local anesthesia to numb the area around the affected tooth before beginning the procedure. You may experience some soreness after the dental procedure, but this is easily managed with over-the-counter pain medication.
Is there anything I should do after my treatment to ensure its success?
Root canal therapy is a highly successful way of saving a tooth from extraction. However, after your appointment, it is critical that you follow Dr. Nima Afzalian’s recommendations to ensure the success of your treatment. This may include avoiding chewing on hard or sticky foods for a few days, practicing good oral hygiene habits at home, and coming in for regular check-ups to monitor the overall healing and recovery process.
Is extraction a better option than root canal therapy?
In most cases, it is always recommended to save your natural tooth if possible. Root canal therapy gives you the chance to keep your natural tooth and avoid costly and time-consuming procedures such as dental implants or bridges. Extraction should only be considered as a last resort when no other option is viable.
What happens if I choose not to have root canal therapy?
Endodontic therapy is considered the last resort before extraction of a natural tooth. If you have been advised by a dental professional to undergo root canal therapy and choose not to, removal of the affected tooth may be required.
