No matter what your previous dental experience, you are probably familiar with the term “root canal.” This notorious treatment has been used for decades to help patients overcome severe dental infections.
Although many people have reflexive anxiety or fear of root canal treatment, the truth is that modern root canal therapy is quite fast, effective, and comfortable. Today our Toluca Lake dentists are walking you through the root canal process, so that you can better understand what this treatment does from start to finish.
Root canal treatment becomes necessary when a specific tooth is infected or cracked down to the dental pulp and dental roots.
In the first phase of root canal therapy our team will take an X-ray of the affected tooth, so that we can see how far the damage has progressed, and where exactly it is located.
Then we will numb the area around your tooth, so that you will stay comfortable throughout the treatment process. If you have severe dental anxiety, talk to your dentist about additional treatments and therapies that can put you at ease.
In order to keep the treatment area dry and free of saliva, we will block off the tooth and gum area with protective rubber sheets.
Once these steps are complete, our team is ready to start working on your tooth. We will drill an access hole into your dental enamel—this access hole allows our team to take out all of the dental pulp, nerves, and tooth roots. Our dentist clears away this material by lowering a series of “files” down into your dental structure. Each file removes more of the inner tooth.
Once the tooth is completely cleared out, our dentist will clean it. Then, it’s time to seal the tooth back up, so that you can comfortably eat, drink, and go through your daily routine. Our dentist will fill the inner tooth with something called “gutta-percha,” which is basically a rubber-like paste. Finally, the tooth is finished with a filling or dental crown.
Thanks to root canal therapy, our dental team is able to save teeth that would otherwise need to be pulled (or that would fall out on their own). If you want to talk to a member of our helpful team about your restorative dentistry options please call our Toluca Lake root canal dentist!