If you are reading this, we understand your trepidation. The words “
root canal”,; worry many people. Those two words together can be scary. Some people worry so much about root canals; they would rather be in severe pain than to come to us - even though we can help. Why would you not come in to see us when we can help with the pain? While in the past, root canals were painful. Now, they are a lot less painful than they were in the past. If you let us show you, we can prove to you that root canals can get rid of your pain rather than add to your pain. Root canals are meant to
restore your tooth and fix the pain.
This is a good thing because when your tooth is in pain, it makes your whole mouth hurt. You might even have a headache. You may be chewing your food on one side. Your face might even be throbbing. It’s time to get help. Let Smile More Spokane Family Dentistry take a minute to talk to you about root canals, and how they can relieve your pain.
What Is A Root Canal?
A root canal is the name for the area of the tooth that we are trying to fix. All of your teeth have pulp and nerves on the inside of your tooth. Your dentin and enamel are the shells, and the pulp and nerves are on the inside of your tooth. When you get a cavity in your tooth, it’s because bacteria have eaten away at your tooth, and allowed it to grow.
Over time, the hole caused by the bacteria will get to the inside of your tooth, which is called the pulp. It will hit the nerves in your tooth, which is the reason you are having pain. To save your tooth, we perform a root canal. If we can successfully perform a root canal, we can save your tooth, so we don’t have to pull it. Saving your tooth is always our goal because when you have all of your teeth, your jaw is stronger. Think of a root canal as a treatment for the infection.
Procedure for a Root Canal
In the past, root canals earned its reputation for being painful. Back then, dentistry was a new science, and we didn’t know nearly as much as we know now about pain and pain management. We know a lot more about pain now than we used to. We also have better tools to use to make the incision smaller, which is less painful. This also speeds up the healing process.
To do a root canal, we cut a hole in the top of your tooth - which is called the crown. We only make the incision after we know for sure that your tooth is numb. Then we can get to your infection. We clean out all of the infection and treat the area with antibiotics. We then fill the chamber of your tooth with medicine and material to keep the infection from coming back and to protect the tooth. We then place a dental crown over the tooth for more protection. You should feel much better when we’re done. Do you have a painful toothache? Does your head hurt? Are you tired of the pain? We want to help. Give Smile More Spokane Family Dentistry a call at (509) 505-6303.
