Sparks Root Canals

There are several benefits to root canal treatment, including:

1. Prevents Further Damage

If a dental infection is left untreated, it can spread to surrounding tissue, teeth, and gums. Because your oral health significantly impacts your overall health, stopping the infection with a root canal is vital.

2. Provides Pain Relief

Because the nerves inside the tooth are removed during a root canal, the procedure eliminates pain and prevents further sensitivity or discomfort in that tooth.

3. It Saves Your Natural Tooth

If an infection damages a tooth beyond repair, the tooth must be extracted. You’ll need cosmetic treatments to restore your smile, such as dental implants or bridges. A root canal can save your natural tooth and prevent extraction.

4. Results Can Last For Decades

With the right techniques and care, root canals have high success rates and may even last a lifetime. Talk to your dentist about dental fillings and crowns to protect your tooth after a root canal.

There are several steps your dentist will perform during a root canal procedure:

1. The area around the infected tooth is numbed with an anesthetic
2. Using a special dental drill, your dentist will open the tooth to expose the infected tissue inside
3. The dentist clears out infected dental pulp and bacteria in the canals. If needed, this process may take more than one session.
4. The tooth is filled with a temporary filling and medicine to kill the remaining bacteria and infection
5. At the next visit, the temporary filling is removed, and the permanent root canal filling is applied
6. The dentist will cover the tooth with a protective dental crown