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Root Canals - Restore beauty and strength to your teeth

When you think of having a root canal, you wince in pain. And who can blame you? When your tooth becomes infected it needs to have a root canal…even the mere thought of a tooth infection sounds painful to treat.

But it doesn’t have to be.

Root canals—also referred to as endodontic treatment—preserve your tooth that would have to be removed because of decay and infection.

What happens when you have a root canal?

Your cosmetic dentist removes the diseased tooth’s pulp—the nerve—and then closes the root from the neighboring tissue. By sealing off the root, you will be protected from
infection.

Getting a root canal consists of taking out the tooth’s pulp—that bundle of nerves in the middle of your tooth, that supplies your tooth with blood. Because natural teeth are typically stronger than artificial teeth, it’s best to have a root canal should your tooth be decaying or infected.

If your tooth is removed without being replaced, your teeth may shift in your mouth, resulting in crooked teeth. Crooked teeth are harder to clean, since the mouth is more crowded, which increases your chance for even more infection.

In your first visit, you will be given local anesthesia. Your cosmetic dentist will then make an opening in your infected tooth using a rubber dam, leading to the pulp chamber. Your dentist will then take out the pulp from the pulp chamber and root canals. After your dentist cleans your canal, medication is administered to remove bacteria. After the filling, your cosmetic dentist saturates your root canal with a biocompatible material—typically gutta-percha—and then the canal is sealed.

In your next visit, your dentist restores your tooth using a crown, veneer or tooth-colored resin.

If you need a root canal, visit your dentist as soon as you can! The longer you wait, the more the infection will spread…call your dentist today!

Friday, May 17, 2013