Root canals in Weston, FL
Dentistry focuses on restoring your oral health through different treatment options. Depending on the case and the condition, the dentist can choose between multiple alternatives to provide the best outcome possible. This can even help you preserve your damaged tooth.
In the case of severely damaged teeth, the dentist can usually save them through a root canal. This treatment option is available for teeth that have suffered nerve damage or have an extensive fracture or caries lesion.
What is a root canal?
A root canal is a specialized treatment often reserved for severely damaged teeth. Its main goal is to treat and prevent tooth infections by removing the tooth's pulp.
Afterward, the tooth's interior is disinfected and filled with a specialized material called gutta-percha.
Additionally, the dentist can alleviate your toothache immediately, thanks to the pulp and nerve removal.
It is crucial to understand that a root canal is an endodontic treatment. Nonetheless, not every case is the same, and general dentists are capable of performing this procedure if it is not significantly complex.
Why is a root canal necessary?
A root canal is the only way to prevent or treat an abscess or infection after irreversible pulp damage. This method allows you to maintain your tooth in the mouth without needing to extract it.
The pulp is a soft tissue located inside each tooth. This tissue contains the nerve that allows the tooth to feel cold or heat. It also has tiny blood vessels that are responsible for nourishing the tooth.
However, the pulp is susceptible to stimuli, such as trauma and tooth decay. This causes it to swell and hurt.
Strong stimuli can cause the pulp to suffer irreversible damage and eventually die. When this happens, the dead pulp releases bacteria that cause a bone infection.
If the nerve removal is not performed, the infection continues to grow and spread.
How is the treatment performed?
The dentist begins by numbing the tooth using local anesthesia. This prevents you from feeling any discomfort during the procedure.
Subsequently, the tooth is isolated from the mouth using a rubber dam.
Once everything is ready, the dentist drills a small hole in the tooth to reach the pulp. Afterward, the pulp is removed using a specialized tool. Depending on the case, the dentist might choose to continue with the root canal treatment or leave medication inside the tooth for a few days.
The next step is disinfecting the tooth interior with specialized solutions and preparing the root canal with endodontic files. Lastly, the root canals are filled with gutta-percha, and a traditional dental restoration is placed on top.
Does it hurt?
Root canals are painless procedures. The entire treatment is done under local anesthesia.
Moreover, dentists are trained to use different techniques to ensure the tooth is completely anesthetized.
Come visit us at Advantage Dental if you are suffering from severe tooth pain. A root canal treatment might be all you need to ease your pain and sleep soundly once again.
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