Stop the Pain, Save Your Tooth, and Revive Your Oral Health with Root Canal Therapy
When you have a compromised tooth, a root canal is the last thing you want to hear from your dentist. However, root canal therapy (RCT) should provide relief because it’s an opportunity to save your tooth from extraction. If your tooth is infected and can’t be fixed with a filling or crown alone, our team at Kelli Brady DDS will recommend a root canal to preserve your natural tooth.
Contrary to what you may have heard or read, a root canal is not a harrowing procedure. Thanks to advanced anesthetics and sedation techniques, modern root canals are no more painful than cavity treatment—just lengthier.
Signs you may need a root canal
Natural teeth have numerous layers, from the outer enamel to the inner pulp. The pulp chamber contains nerves, blood vessels, and connective tissues that provide sensation and nutrition to the tooth. When a tooth is infected or injured, a root canal is necessary to save it from extraction.
While only a dentist can determine whether a root canal is necessary, the following signs may indicate the need for this tooth-saving treatment.
- Excruciating toothaches
- Increased tooth sensitivity
- A darkened tooth as the pulp chamber dies off
- Swollen gums or face
- A painful bump around the tooth
- A foul taste or odor despite good oral hygiene
Sometimes, root canal therapy is necessary without pain or the above symptoms. That’s why routine oral exams with Dr. Kelli Brady is vital. We can detect and treat subtle oral issues before they cause significant oral problems.
The procedure for a root canal
The process starts with digital x-rays to determine the extent of tooth damage and the viability of the surrounding structures. If you are eligible for a root canal, we’ll precisely numb your gums to minimize pain during treatment.
Next, we’ll isolate your tooth with a rubber dam to prevent saliva contamination. Then, we’ll create a small hole in your tooth to remove the infected tissues. After removing the diseased pulp chamber and other debris, we’ll thoroughly clean and sanitize your tooth to remove all traces of unwanted bacteria. The next step is filling your tooth with a rubbery material called gutta-percha.
Finally, we’ll seal the access hole with a tooth filling. If your tooth is significantly weakened, we’ll reinforce it with a custom-made crown for durable function and aesthetics.
Before you leave, we’ll provide aftercare instructions to facilitate a smooth recovery. Following treatment, you may experience mild pain for the first few days. Don’t worry! This is normal and typically stems from the infected tooth.
Endodontic treatment near me
At Kelli Brady DDS, we are happy to provide root canal therapy to save infected teeth. If you suspect an infected tooth, contact our offices in Norwood, NJ (201) 806-6866 or New York, NY (646) 692-0227 for safe yet effective root canals.
Root canal therapy is a very common procedure. It has a reputation of being undesirable and painful. But when done properly it is actually painless. Every tooth in your mouth is composed of a crown and a root. When a cavity or bacteria penetrates the tooth, the root and its nerves become irritated. As a result, the bacteria within the pulp cavity needs to be removed and cleaned in order to restore the tooth to its healthy state. Following the procedure, the tooth is fragile and consequently is restored with the natural crown for a lifetime of durability. Root canals have a success rate of 95% or greater. Most root canal are diagnosed by patients’ sensitivities to a specific tooth. Be sure to consult your dentist any symptoms or discomfort occur.
