Root Canal Treatment

Our doctors have successfully performed countless root canal therapies. Combining expert knowledge with a compassionate demeanor, our team will work to provide a safe and pain-free treatment experience. Please don’t delay; make your appointment at our modern, comfortable office today.

Root canal therapy is the only treatment that deals with infections within the dental pulp, which is the deepest part of the tooth.  Root canal infections occur when decay has been left untreated for so long that it has managed to penetrate through the outer and middle layers of the tooth to the root canal, which is contained within the pulp.

Root canals are long, thread-like strands that run through the length of the tooth. While some teeth have just one root canal, others may have several. When the infection permeates the root canal, it stops the flow of blood and nutrients to the tooth. Left untreated, the tooth will eventually die and fall out. Unlike other varieties of infection, antibiotics are not successful in treating root canal infections. Instead, it is only root canal therapy that can remove the infection from within the tooth, helping you to avoid tooth loss or the need for extraction.

The symptoms of dental infections often don’t become apparent until they reach greater severity. One of the first signs of a root canal infection is pain or sensitivity when eating or drinking particularly hot or cold items. Over time, the symptoms tend to become more noticeable, and you may experience: swelling in the gum around the infected tooth; swelling of your face and jaw on the side of the infected tooth; the presence of pus or oozing liquid from the infected tooth; or the tooth darkening in color as the blood supply is cut from it. You should seek professional attention as soon as you start to experience symptoms that you think may be related to a dental cavity or root canal infection.

Root canal therapy takes place over two appointments in our modern, comfortable offices. During your first visit, you will have the root canals of your teeth exposed and cleaned using our precision tools. A temporary cavity filling or crown will then be used to cap the top of the tooth so that bacteria cannot re-enter the tooth. About a week later, you will return to the office so that your doctor can inspect the root canals for any residual infection. We will place a permanent filling or crown on your tooth to prevent the re-occurrence of any infection.

Root canal therapy is typically performed under local anesthetic, and while you may feel some pressure during the procedure, you will not be in any pain. If you are a particularly nervous patient, we may be able to sedate you for your root canal therapy. Please ask us about sedation dentistry at the time of your consultation.