Saving Your Natural Tooth
In a root canal procedure, the pulp of the tooth (the living tissue inside) is removed and the resulting space is filled with special, medicated dental materials that restore the tooth to full function. Using root canal therapy not only preserves your natural tooth, extending its lifetime, it also protects and preserves the jaw bone and other supporting tissues around the tooth. Wherever possible, saving your natural tooth will also save you from more pain and expense down the road.
There are a number of signs that suggest root canal therapy may be necessary:
- Sensitivity to hot and cold.
- Severe toothache pain.
- Red or swollen gums near the tooth.
- Discolouration of the tooth.
- An abscess (or pimple) on the gums.
The Root Canal Treatment Plan
A root canal treatment usually requires one or two office visits and is performed by either a dentist or an endodontist. Here is how we perform your root canal:
Diagnosis and Treatment Plan
Prepping the Tooth
Sealing the Tooth
Damage can occur due to deep decay, trauma, dead nerve, a loose filling or crown or a crack or chip in the tooth.
Thanks to modern techniques and technology and a compassionate dental philosophy our highly trained team of dentists and hygienists can provide root canal treatments with minimal to no pain at all.
By the time you realize you need a root canal, your tooth pulp and nerve have already begun to decay. This infected tissue will never fully heal and would only become infected again. Removing the pulp is the only safe option.
A root canal treatment usually requires one or two office visits. Simple or minor root canal cases usually take about 30 to 60 minutes of treatment, while a more complex case take longer– around 90 minutes.
You typically need a dental crown after a root canal on your back grinding teeth, molars and premolars. Front teeth, canines, and incisors may not require a dental crown.
