Root Canal Therapy FAQ
Often simply known as “a root canal”, this treatment involves the removal of diseased pulp tissue from the inside of the tooth, which is then sealed with a crown. Root canals save teeth from extraction, and the tooth can last for many years after treatment, ensuring that patients retain a reliable bite and their beautiful smile.
Signs that you may need a root canal include a toothache, fracture, crack or broken tooth, sensitivity, swelling or pain around the tooth, abscess or drainage, or a known injury. It is important for the patients to understand that sometimes your dentist indicate a root canal treatment for a tooth that may not be hurting but has a higher chance to become infected.
Your dentist referred you to us because just like us, he or she knows that saving your natural tooth is the most important thing, and root canal therapy is the only option left for doing so.
As the anesthesia wears off, some patients have no pain, while others have some very mild discomfort that may last for a couple days. Most patients are able to adequately manage any discomfort with an over the counter pain medication.
Your tooth will be numb for some time after the procedure. We recommend that you take an over the counter pain medication such as ibuprofen or Tylenol before the anesthesia wears off to catch any discomfort before it starts. Avoid chewing hard foods with that tooth until you have your final crown in place.
Very rarely, endodontic re-treatment is necessary to remove a hidden infection. If you have a toothache outside of the normal healing time (several days) of your root canal treatment, please call our office at (540) 779-0101.
General Questions
The word endodontic has Greek origins and literally means “inside the tooth”. A recognized specialty by the American Dental Association, endodontics is a branch of dentistry concerned with diseases of the dental pulp, which lies inside the tooth in the root canal system. The most common procedure associated with endodontics is root canal therapy.
Yes! Advancements in endodontic techniques, tools and technologies have made treatment more comfortable and more effective now than ever.
Yes! We take x-ray safety very seriously, and only utilize them when they are absolutely necessary. In addition to that, we use an advanced non-film computerized system, called digital radiography that produces radiation levels up to 90 percent lower than those of already low dose conventional dental x-ray machinery. These digital images can be optimized, archived, printed and sent to co-therapists electronically. For more information, contact Sirona Dental Systems, Inc.