What is a root canal?
A root canal is a treatment for a damaged or infected tooth. It involves removing all of the decayed pulp (the inner layer of your tooth) so that your tooth is free of infection.
When your pulp gets infected or damaged, it swells and pinches against the inside of your tooth. Your pulp contains many nerve endings, so this swelling causes a great deal of pain.
A root canal alleviates that pain while enabling you to keep most of your natural tooth structures intact. This is a great improvement over the old method of treating a damaged or infected tooth, which was to simply extract it from your mouth.
What are the symptoms of a damaged or infected tooth?
You might need a root canal if you’re experiencing any of the following symptoms:
- Intense toothache
- Swollen or tender gums
- Darkened tooth
- Pus around your gumline
- A small pimple-like pocket near your tooth root
- Bad breath that won’t go away
If you think your tooth might be infected or damaged, schedule a visit with Columbia Dental immediately. The team can perform a visual assessment and take X-rays to determine whether you need a root canal treatment.
What happens to untreated damage or infection?
Your damaged or infected tooth only gets worse if you leave it untreated. When left to progress, the damage or infection can lead to more severe complications with your oral health, like:
- Tooth loss
- Infection of nearby teeth, gums, or jawbone
- Formation of an abscess
Don’t delay treatment. Schedule your root canal today.
Is a root canal painful?
A root canal isn’t that much more uncomfortable than a traditional dental filling. Movies and television have used root canals as shorthand for describing an unpleasurable experience, which makes them out to seem far worse than they actually are.
In reality, a root canal alleviates the pain of an infected or damaged tooth, and because your mouth is anesthetized during the procedure, you’ll feel a minimal amount of discomfort.
What happens during a root canal?
Your dentist drills a hole in the top of your tooth and then uses a series of small files to remove the damaged tissue from within. Once your tooth is free from decay, it is sterilized and sealed with a rubber-like compound called gutta-percha.
Finally, your provider fills the hole that they drilled into the top of your tooth, and fit you with a crown to restore your tooth’s strength and structural integrity.
Schedule your root canal today by calling Columbia Dental or booking a visit online.
Are you looking for a dentist in the city of Elizabeth or the town of Roselle? Book an appointment with us today!
