Root Canal Specialist

What is a root canal?

A root canal is a dental treatment for an infected tooth.

Your tooth can become infected from untreated damage or tooth decay, which allows bacteria to make its way to the soft tissue inside your tooth, called the “pulp.” Your pulp is composed of nerves, blood vessels, and connective tissues, and when it gets infected, it gets swollen and inflamed. This inflammation leads to the compression of the nerves within the pulp, which is extremely painful.

Root canals alleviate pain and restore function to your tooth by removing the infected tissue from within your tooth (your “pulp”) and replacing it with a rubbery compound called “gutta-percha.”

Do I need a root canal?

If you have an infected tooth, a root canal is absolutely essential to alleviate your pain and prevent the infection from spreading further and causing more damage to your teeth, gums, and jawbone.

Some of the indications that you might have an infected tooth include:

• Pain in your tooth, or throbbing in your jaw or mouth
• Increased sensitivity in your tooth to hot and cold
• Bad breath
• Soreness while chewing
• Inflamed gums
• Darkened tooth
• Pus around the gumline of the tooth, or a pimple-like bump on your gum

An infected tooth only gets worse over time. If left untreated, an infected tooth can eventually fall out or spread the infection to other teeth and your jawbone. If you suspect that you have an infected tooth, don’t wait — seek treatment immediately.

What happens during a root canal?

Root canals are mistakenly thought of as a painful procedure, but they’re really not. A root canal can actually relieve you of the incredible pain of an infected tooth. If you have an infected tooth, Dr. Cheney can complete your root canal with just one or two office visits.

During your first visit, Dr. Cheney takes an X-ray in order to survey the extent of the damage and to use as a roadmap for the procedure. Next, he numbs your infected tooth and its surrounding tissues so that you don’t feel anything during the procedure.

Next, he drills a hole in the top of your tooth, then uses a series of small files to remove the damaged pulp from within. You won’t be able to feel any of this tissue being removed because it’s already dead. Once your tooth is free of the decayed pulp, Dr. Cheney cleans the inside with water.

Depending on the extent of the infection, he might apply a round of antibiotics to the inside of your tooth before sealing you up and sending you home while he waits for the infection to be cleared. After he’s sure that your tooth is free from infection, he seals it up with a rubbery compound called “gutta percha” and fills the hole in the top of your tooth. Finally, he fits your tooth with a permanent crown in order to restore and enhance its strength and function.

If you think you’re suffering from an infected tooth, don’t wait to get treated. Schedule an appointment immediately with Dr. Cheney and the team at Complete Dental Arts by calling the offices or booking online.