Chestermere Root Canal Therapy

If you are looking for an effective way to save your natural tooth from extraction and prevent further intervention in the future, root canal therapy might be right for you. Chestermere Dental is pleased to offer this effective dental procedure to restore your damaged tooth to its full function.

To understand root canal therapy, it helps to understand the anatomy of the tooth. Inside of the tooth, under the white enamel, is a hard layer called the “dentin.” Inside the dentin is a soft tissue called the “pulp.” The pulp contains blood vessels, nerves, and connective tissues and creates the surrounding hard tissue of the tooth during development. The pulp extends from the crown of the tooth to the tip of the roots where it connects to the tissues surrounding the root. While the pulp is important during a tooth’s growth and development, once a tooth is fully mature it can survive without the pulp. Root canal therapy is a treatment option that is necessary when the pulp becomes inflamed or infected. The inflammation or infection can have a variety of causes including deep decay extending into the pulp, repeated dental procedures on a particular tooth, tooth fractures or breakage. Trauma to a tooth may also cause pulp damage even if the tooth has no visible chips or cracks. If pulp inflammation or infection is left untreated, it can cause severe pain, a dental abscess or possible tooth loss. As such, it is important to seek treatment as soon as possible.

Symptoms that may indicate the need for root canal therapy

• The tooth hurts when biting or pressure
• The tooth is sensitive to hot or cold
• There is throbbing, severe tooth pain
• The area is swollen
• You have a bad taste in your mouth
• Sometimes there are no obvious or noticeable symptoms to let you know there is a problem! Only regular dental visits and digital x-rays combined with detailed clinical examination can reveal underlying trauma.

In order to save a tooth from extraction, the pulp, nerves, bacteria and decay are removed from the affected tooth. The area is cleaned and disinfected, and the resulting space is filled with a medicated dental material that restores the tooth to its full function. After restoration, the tooth continues to function like any other tooth. Many root canal treatments are performed to relieve the pain of toothaches caused by pulp inflammation or infection. With modern techniques and anesthetics, most patients report that they are comfortable during the procedure. Rest assured we do everything we can to ensure that you remain comfortable throughout the entire procedure.

For the first few days after treatment, your tooth may feel sensitive, especially if there was pain or infection before the procedure. This discomfort can be relieved with over-the-counter or prescription medications. Post-operative treatment of possible pain is something that you and your dentist will discuss. Your tooth may continue to feel slightly different from other teeth for some time after the completion of root canal treatment. However, as with any dental treatment, if you have severe or persistent pain or pressure, please call our office as soon as possible and we will be happy to help.