Occasionally, for any number of reasons, one of your teeth may require a Root Canal Treatment in order to be retained. The main reason for needing a RCT is when a tooth is causing you major discomfort and pain due to an inflamed tooth nerve and/or abcess (infection). The nerve of a tooth can become inflamed due to deep cavities, large fillings or crowns, trauma, etc. Symptoms can include: hot and cold sensitivity for an extended period of time, biting pain, dull aches, and/or throbbing. In other cases, when a tooth breaks off near the gum line and there is not enough tooth left above the gums to support a crown, a RCT may be necessary in order to place a post down in the root of the tooth. This post allows us to build the tooth up above the gums so we can place a crown.
Most patients associate Root Canals with pain! This should not be the case if done properly. Most Root Canals can be completed in 1 or 2 appointments. During the appointment the Doctor will make sure to get your tooth very numb so you don't experience any pain. Once your tooth is adequately numb, you should not be able to tell whether the Doctor is doing a filling or a Root Canal. The goal of this procedure is to gently remove the nerve and any infection (bacteria) from the canals inside the root of your tooth. We accomplish this with tiny metal files and anti-bacterial irrigation. Once the canals have been thoroughly cleaned, they are filled and sealed with gutta percha (biocompatible plastic material). This should prevent further bacterial infiltration and abcess formation. All teeth that have RCT need to have a post/core and crown placed immediately. This is due to the fact that root canal treated teeth become much more susceptible to fracturing or breaking over time. Our Doctors will be happy to discuss any concerns or questions you might have before any treatment is started.
We feel very comfortable and confident performing Root Canals on teeth with straight forward canal and root systems. In some rare cases, a tooth may have a complex root anatomy or may be in a difficult area to treat. In these situations the Doctors may refer you to a specialist (Endodontist) who only does root canals and has special equipment to treat these more challenging cases.