Root Canals Specialist

What is root canal therapy?

Root canal therapy is a common procedure that saves endangered natural teeth. Your dentist would probably recommend a root canal if you have a dental pulp infection. Dental pulp is the soft material in the center of each tooth made up of tissue, nerves, and blood vessels.

Injuries, decay, and repeated dental work can increase your risk of a dental pulp infection. During root canal therapy, your dentist removes the infected pulp, then cleans, fills, and seals your tooth.

Your teeth can function without the nerves contained in your dental pulp. After root canal therapy, you can use the treated tooth as normal and keep it for the rest of your life with good care. In most cases, your dentist places a restoration like a crown over your tooth after a root canal to strengthen and protect the tooth.

How would I know if I need root canal therapy?

The most common sign that you need root canal therapy is tooth pain, which can range from mild to severe. The pain could be constant or it could intensify when you use the tooth to chew or if your tooth is exposed to hot or cold.

A dental pulp infection can also cause swelling, tenderness, and pimples on your gums near the affected tooth. Your tooth might also appear darker.

Schedule an appointment at Swinney Dental right away if you’re in pain or have developed any other troubling symptoms. Prompt treatment can mean the difference between keeping or losing your tooth.

Note that tooth decay and dental pulp infections don’t always cause symptoms in their early stages. Regular preventive dentistry appointments at Swinney Dental can catch these problems before they become serious.

Why should I get root canal therapy on my infected tooth?

Root canal therapy has an unfortunate reputation. You might associate it with unbearable pain. However, what’s really painful is an untreated dental pulp infection, not the procedure to treat it.

The team at Swinney Dental provides modern, nonsurgical root canal therapy, which feels similar to having a cavity filled. You’re under a local anesthetic during the procedure. You could choose to receive nitrous oxide sedation, especially if you suffer from severe anxiety while in the dentist’s chair.

Swinney Dental dentists use dental cone beam tomography, a state-of-the-art imaging technology, so they can treat your root canal infection as precisely as possible.

In addition to relieving your pain, root canal therapy is a way to save your natural teeth. Whenever possible, keeping your natural teeth is a better option than an extraction or replacement. Extractions are more painful than a root canal, and missing teeth can lead to additional dental complications.

If you’re experiencing dental pain, schedule an examination at Swinney Dental today online or over the phone.