Our Approach to Root Canals
We approach Root Canals with a focus on enhancing your smile while considering your overall well-being. Our holistic approach ensures that all treatments prioritize both aesthetics and the health of your teeth and gums.
Root canal treatment helps in removing the infected nerves and tissues from the pulp chamber. Symptoms that indicate you may be suffering from a root canal infection are:
- Pulsating and persistent toothache. You may also experience a change in the intensity of the pain with a change in posture.
- Swelling near the root tip, which is accompanied by toothache, often indicates the presence of a root canal infection.
- Foul breath accompanied by abscess pockets with pus oozing out from the root canals.
- The infected tooth will appear taller than the neighboring teeth.
- Swollen or tender lymph nodes with a general feeling of illness.
- A dentist solely identifies certain symptoms with digital X-rays. These include gum boils, discoloration, and nerve exposure.
- Your dentist will also resort to multiple testing methods to determine a root canal infection:
- Tapping on the infected tooth
- Thermal and electric testing
- The cavity test
- Selective anesthesia
How is a root canal treatment performed?
Below is a step-by-step guide for a root canal treatment:
- Your dentist checks and evaluates the infected tooth using digital radiography to determine the degree of decay and infection. The tooth and the surrounding region are anesthetized to ward off pain and discomfort. A gingival dam, made of rubber, is used to isolate the tooth from the rest of the mouth.
- An access hole is drilled into the pulp chamber. Dental tools are used to eliminate the infected nerves from the pulp chamber and root canals.
- After the elimination of dead nerves and tissues, the pulp chamber and the root canals are flooded with disinfectants to sterilize the region and remove bacteria. An inert filling is then pressed into the now hollow canals and pulp chamber. Impressions of your prepared tooth are obtained and sent to a dental laboratory where a crown is fabricated to cover the treated tooth.
- The crown will be placed on the treated tooth to restore the tooth structure above the gum line. The crown protects and restores the tooth’s natural shape and functionality.
What are the advantages of root canal treatment?
A root canal treatment has the following advantages:
- The painful symptoms related to root canal infection like pain, swelling, and inflammation go away.
- The root canal treatment involves disinfecting the root canals, which prevent future infections.
- The bacteria are scraped away from the tooth surfaces and around the root tips, which prevents abscess formation.
- Root canal treatment saves your natural tooth and prevents it from getting extracted.
- The recovery time is less. You can resume your regular lifestyle in a couple of days.
- Root canal treatment is cost-effective.
Visit 7707 West Lane Suite B, Stockton, CA 95210, or book an appointment with us at (209) 952-9290 to know more about the root canal treatment.