Endodontics is the area of dentistry that treats the inside of the tooth. The most common endodontic treatment is the root canal. The dental pulp is the soft tissue, nerves and blood vessels inside your tooth. When it becomes infected, a root canal removes the infected pulp, then cleans, fills and seals the space where it was.
A root canal can save a tooth that would otherwise be lost. Without treatment, the infection spreads and the tooth may eventually need to be removed and replaced with an implant or bridge, which costs more. Because a treated tooth no longer has its nerve and blood supply, it can become brittle over time, so a crown is usually placed afterward to protect it from cracking.
Floss City Dental is committed to making root canal therapy as comfortable as possible. We promise it’s not as bad as you’ve heard.
Signs you may need a root canal
Root canals have a bad reputation, but modern techniques and anesthesia make them far more comfortable than they used to be, and they have a high success rate. You may need one if a tooth is infected or abscessed, badly decayed or injured, or its nerve is damaged. Signs of infection include:
- Pain when chewing
- Lingering sensitivity to heat or cold
- A darkening or discolored tooth
- Swollen or tender gums
- Sometimes no symptoms at all, which is why regular exams matter
Left untreated, an infected tooth can cause swelling in the face or neck, tooth loss, and infection spreading into the gums, cheek, skin or bloodstream. The alternative is extracting the tooth and replacing it with a bridge, implant or partial denture, which is often more expensive and takes longer. Dr. Kevin will help you find the best way to save your tooth and your smile.
Endodontic retreatment
Occasionally a tooth that has had a root canal doesn’t heal properly or becomes infected again. Retreatment, usually non-surgical, reopens the tooth, removes the old filling material, cleans and reshapes the canals, and refills them with a rubber-like material called gutta-percha. Because it demands extra precision, retreatment is often done by an endodontist (a root canal specialist) using a dental operating microscope, and it may take more than one visit.
What is an apicoectomy?
An apicoectomy is a minor surgery that treats infected or damaged tissue at the tip of a tooth’s root. It may be needed when infection lingers after a root canal or retreatment, sometimes because debris remains in small side branches of the canal. The root tip and any infected tissue are removed, and a small filling seals the end of the root.
Advanced imaging and magnification
A dental operating microscope magnifies the tooth far beyond what the naked eye can see, which is especially valuable for intricate root canal work.
A cone beam CT (CBCT) scan is a specialized x-ray used when regular dental x-rays don’t show enough. It rotates around the head and builds a 3D image of the teeth, nerve pathways, soft tissue and bone.
Dr. Kevin Chuang is a general dentist who provides root canal treatment.