A Root Canal Saves Your Tooth
The poor, poor root canal. It’s been so badly maligned, the subject of relentless rumors that it causes illness and is excruciatingly painful, that it is pushed on patients unnecessarily, and even that it’s better to extract a tooth!
None of these things are true. There is no credible research linking the procedure to systemic disease. It actually stops pain, not causes it — and most patients report that the process itself is no more uncomfortable than getting a filling. At Dores Dental, we would never push a service that you don’t need. And almost always, it’s best to save your natural teeth when possible, avoiding the need for dental bridges, dental implants, or dentures.
If your pulp is infected or you have an abscess, root canal therapy is a lifesaver. Call Dores Dental of Longmeadow, MA at 413-241-3995 to schedule an appointment for that or any of our dental offerings.
Stop Infection in Its Tracks
If you have an infection around your tooth root or in your dental pulp, you will need a root canal procedure. Your pulp may become infected due to severe decay, repeated dental work that’s weakened the tooth, cracks or chips, or injury to the tooth. Symptoms of infection include:
- Pain that lingers, or gets worse if you lie down or stand up quickly
- Sensitivity to temperature extremes
- Tooth discoloration
- Discomfort while chewing
- Gums tissue that is swollen or tender
- A pus-filled pimple on the gum
Sometimes, an infection may be present without obvious symptoms and must be diagnosed by your dentist (yet another reason those twice yearly checkups are so critical).
It’s imperative to treat any sort of tooth infection or abscess. It will not go away on its own. If you ignore it, you risk losing your tooth and — far more seriously — the spread of bacteria to other parts of your mouth and body. This may lead to sepsis and other life-threatening complications.
Modern Technology, Better Results
Root canal treatment has come a long way since your grandma and grandpa’s day. In fact, the procedure’s unfortunate reputation may be holdover from those bad old days of dentistry. At Dores Dental, we use digital X-rays for better and more precise diagnosis. Thanks to improvements in instruments and materials, the treatment is faster, less uncomfortable, and more reliable than it would have been in the past.
We even take the sting out of anesthesia administration. Our cutting-edge DentalVibe anesthesia injection system uses gentle vibrations that cancel pain signals to your brain, ensuring you don’t feel a thing, and disperse the medication more quickly.
The Process, Step by Step
If you believe you may have an infection in one of your teeth, call our office right away. This is considered a dental emergency and we will fit you in as soon as we can — that very day, if possible.
- The first step is to conduct a thorough examination. Dr. Dores will carefully check the tooth and take digital X-rays. Once he confirms that infection is present, he will prepare you for the procedure by numbing the area (using the painless DentalVibe injection system, of course).
- We will use a sheet of thin rubber called a dental dam to isolate the infected tooth from the rest of your teeth. This helps keep the area dry so we can work and protects the other areas of your mouth.
- The next step is the make a small opening in the crown of the tooth. Through this hole, we will remove all of the infected pulp from the chamber. We will thoroughly clean and prepare the area to be filled.
- We will fill the tooth chamber with an inert material and then close up the hole with either a filling or a crown. Thanks to our state-of-the-art CEREC technology, we can mill your permanent crown in our office that very day. No need for a temporary and waiting weeks for your final restoration.
As mentioned above, most patients say their root canal pain after the procedure is minimal — no worse than getting a filling. But if you are experiencing some discomfort, it’s totally fine to take an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication. More than likely, you will be relieved that your pain — from the infection, that is — has stopped.
If you live in the vicinity of Longmeadow, MA and believe you may have a tooth abscess or infection, call Dores Dental immediately at 413-241-3995. We will get you in as soon as we can and determine if you need a root canal or other procedure.
For less urgent questions and appointments, you may get in touch with us online.