Root Canals

A toothache that wakes you at night, throbs when you lie down, or lingers long after something hot or cold is gone is usually infection. Not sensitivity. Not a cavity you can put off.

That pain comes from the pulp, the chamber inside the tooth holding the nerve and blood vessels. Once decay or a crack lets bacteria reach it, the tissue becomes infected, and it does not resolve on its own.

Root canal treatment removes the infected tissue, cleans and disinfects the canals inside the root, and seals them. The tooth stays in place. In most cases a crown goes on afterward to protect what's left of the structure.

The procedure has a worse reputation than it deserves. The pain people associate with root canals is the infection, not the treatment. The tooth is fully frozen throughout, and most patients say it feels like having a filling done. If dental anxiety is a factor, sedation options are available and worth discussing beforehand.

Most cases are completed in one or two appointments depending on the tooth and the extent of the infection.

The alternative is extraction, followed by a bridge or implant to fill the space. Saving your own tooth is the simpler path when it's still available, and that window closes faster than most people expect.

If a tooth is hurting, call us now rather than next week.