What is a Root Canal?
Root canals are restorative dental procedures that treat a tooth's pulp when it has become infected to relieve pain and prevent the spread of infection.
Damaged or infected tooth pulp will often be painful, cause swelling and create a sensation of heat in the surrounding gums. This can make eating and speaking painful and lead to abscesses.
Root canals can serve as an alternative to extraction or other more invasive procedures to treat infections of the tooth pulp. Most patients recover within a few days of a root canal and speak and chew normally.
If you are experiencing symptoms that could be caused by an infected tooth, contact our team at Valley Dental today.
The Root Canal Process
Root canals are generally conducted over the course of two appointments.
First Appointment
During your first appointment, your dentist will create a tiny access hole in the top part of the tooth. They will then locate the pulp chamber and remove infected or diseased pulp using the appropriate dental instruments.
A temporary filling is used to seal the top part of the tooth. Based on the extent of the infection, your dentist may provide you with antibiotics.
Second Appointment
During your second appointment, the small access hole will be opened and your dentist will file and sterilize the tooth once more. Then, the empty pulp chamber and root canals will be filled.
Sometimes a crown will be used to strengthen the tooth after the root canal procedure is complete.
