Root Canal Therapy

Keep Your Teeth Strong And Healthy With Root Canal Therapy from the Art of Smile Dental!

Inside the hard outer shell of each tooth there is a softer inner part – a whole living system of blood vessels, pulp, and nerves contained in tiny passageways, called the root canals. While the tooth nerve is crucially important for the proper tooth development, once the tooth emerges through the gums, its only function is sensory, providing the sensation of hot or cold, and its presence or absence is not vitally important for a tooth’s health and function.

When a tooth develops a crack or a deep cavity, it allows bacteria to enter the pulp tissue, causing an infection to set in inside the tooth, leading to in an inflammation of the tooth nerve or an abscess, and usually resulting in pain and swelling. Left untreated, the infection can not only make you lose the tooth and damage the jaw bone anchoring it, but put your overall health at risk since the infection can ultimately spread into your bloodstream, which then travels to your heart and brain.

Teeth that require root canal therapy are not always painful, but such symptoms as severe toothache, pain upon biting or chewing, prolonged sensitivity or pain in response to hot and cold temperatures, a dark discoloration of the tooth, or swelling and tenderness in the nearby gums might be telltale signs that you need a root canal.

A root canal therapy is performed in order to save the structure of a tooth when the inner part containing the nerve becomes damaged to the extent that the only other alternative is an extraction. The procedure involves cleaning out the decay and removing the damaged nerve from the tooth’s inner chamber, and then filling and sealing the interior with a dental composite, preserving the outer structure of the tooth.

Root canals are a relatively simple procedure often done in one office visit. In many cases, once the root canal procedure has been performed, as long as you continue to care for your teeth and gums with regular brushing, flossing, and checkups, your restored tooth can last a lifetime. In incidents where your tooth had extensive decay, removing the inner tissues can weaken the tooth and require placing a crown to strengthen and prevent cracking or breaking. Either way, having a root canal when necessary can save your tooth and your smile!

Call us to discuss your treatment options or schedule an appointment at The Art of Smile Dental.