You may remember the days when people avoided the dentist as soon as they learned they needed a root canal treatment. Just the idea of someone drilling into your tooth was enough to make you shiver. But today’s root canals are virtually pain-free — especially at Dental Town DC — and are the best, most natural way to save a tooth that’s otherwise in danger of being extracted.
Why you need a root canal
Root canals are tiny little tubes that run down the roots of your teeth. They’re filled with sensitive nerves and blood vessels, so when they become infected they’re extremely painful.
Our team uses a root canal procedure to remove damaged and diseased pulp from the inside of your tooth and the root canals. When one of our caring dental specialists at Dental Town DC performs a root canal procedure, they first make sure that you’re completely comfortable. They offer sedation dentistry to keep you relaxed and pain-free throughout your procedure.
Signs that you have an infection in your root canals and tooth pulp include:
- Tenderness and swelling
- Severe pain, especially when biting down
- Sensitivity to hot and cold temperatures
- A pimple or abscess on your gum
If you ignore a diseased tooth, you run the risk of the infection worsening, spreading to other parts of your body, and losing the tooth. Each year in the United States, root canals save approximately 24 million teeth.
What happens during a root canal
Before your procedure, we apply numbing agents to your tooth and surrounding area. You might also opt for nitrous oxide (aka laughing gas) to alleviate any anxiety you have around dental procedures.
After we numb the area, we use a small drill to make a tiny opening in your tooth. Then, we extract the inner decay, infected nerve tissues, bacteria, and pulp. Finally, we clean the inside of your tooth before filling it with medicated dental materials that restore strength and structure to your tooth.
The last step of a root canal involves sealing the opening with a filling. Sometimes, we recommend covering the entire area with a dental crown for additional protection.
Root canals stop the pain
After your root canal treatment, you may feel swollen and sore for a few days. However, those symptoms quickly resolve and you can control them with over-the-counter pain medications and cold compresses. In less than a week, your tooth is pain-free and completely functional again.
While eliminating tooth pain is a major reason to have a root canal, the main benefit is saving your natural tooth. Your teeth play a vital role in your oral health, and nothing is better than the ones you’ve got.
When you lose a tooth, it does more than impact your smile. When you have missing teeth, it can cause:
- Surrounding teeth to shift out of position
- Changes to your bite and jaw alignment
- Difficulty chewing or talking
- Pockets for bacteria to grow, increasing your risk of gum disease
Losing a tooth can also impact the health of your jawbone because the root below your gum line stimulates bone production. Finally, having a tooth extracted is often more uncomfortable than undergoing a root canal.
If you have a painful tooth, don’t ignore it. Contact us at our convenient location in Washington, DC by phone, or using the online form today.