What is Root Canal Therapy?

Despite the common belief that root canals are excruciatingly painful, in actuality they cause very little pain and discomfort. In fact, root canals actually relieve tooth pain.

What is a Root Canal?

Each tooth has tissue containing nerve fibers that run through the center of the root of your tooth, which are called “root canals.” When this tissue dies as a result of a deep cavity or trauma, root canal therapy is needed. Without treatment, pain gradually worsens and the tooth can abscess and cause swelling.

Root canal therapy is used to remove the dead tissue from the tooth. After numbing the area around the tooth, the Dobson Dental team will isolate the tooth and sterilize it in order to protect it from bacteria in the mouth. We will then remove the dead tissue, from the canals. Afterwards, we will sterilize the tooth and place a rubber filling material inside of it. The tooth is then built back up and prepared for a crown.

Years ago, completing a root canal used to take several, long visits to the dentist. Today, root canals can often be completed in less than one hour during a single visit, thanks to recent advances in technology and new dental techniques.

If you are in need of a root canal but keep putting it off, relieve your pain and make an appointment at Lakeside Dental today.