Root Canal Therapy

Lansdowne Dental Care
“We change lives by creating beautiful, healthy smiles”

Award Winning Cosmetic Dentistry In Leesburg, VA

Find us at 19465 Deerfield Ave #406 Leesburg, VA 20176

Root Canal Treatment For Optimal Oral Health

Having a dental issue is not something that every patient plans for. Dental cavities typically come as a surprise no matter how well you think you may be taking care of your teeth. There is nothing worse than feeling the uncomfortable soreness that a major toothache can bring. When there is severe pain, the tooth will need to be treated immediately to prevent any worse issues down the line. The cavity is more popularly treated using root canal therapy. This procedure is Typically performed by a specially trained dentist called an endodontist. This form of treatment is a standard procedure that is done in order to try and save a tooth that is infected. Otherwise, if the tooth is left untreated for a long period of time, the infection will spread and the tooth will need to be extracted.

It can feel extremely intimidating if a dentist recommends a root canal procedure. However, it can be beneficial to know exactly what root canal therapy is and how it’s performed. But firstly, the patient should also know how a cavity can form. A cavity forms when the enamel of the tooth has been taken over by a bacteria and the pulp of the tooth becomes infected as well. The pulp is the internal tissue of a tooth that is made up of all nerve endings and living tissue of the tooth. When the pulp becomes infected, it must be removed and filled with a dental filling in order to try and salvage the tooth. If the infection spreads, it can be tough to try and save the tooth, when this happens the tooth may need to be extracted in order to stop the infection from spreading into the gums or jawbone.

As mentioned above, the dentist will ensure full options have been performed in order to save the tooth from extraction. Cavities don’t always have to be extreme and can actually be prevented if the patient visits the dentist every six months. A root canal therapy can quickly treat a mild cavity with little to no difficulty. It can put your mind at ease knowing exactly how the procedure is performed. Check out the steps below to get an idea of how this procedure is done in the dental office. You should take note,that’s some of these steps may be performed in different orders or in different timelines due to the dentist’s preference as well as the technology available in the dental office.

Step 1

The dentist will first perform a number of x-rays to ensure and check to see if there are any issues in the mouth, otherwise may have been missed with the naked eye. After the x-rays are finished, the dentist will use a special dental tool to scrape the tops of each tooth in order to find any issues with tooth enamel. If a tooth enamel is softer then the other teeth, then that is an indicator that there may be an issue with that tooth, inside the pulp.

Step 2

Once the dentist has confirmed that a patient has a cavity, he or she will recommend having it treated immediately. In most cases, your dentist will recommend the procedure directly after the checkup in order to repair the issue right away. If you allow the cavity to go untreated, the infection can spread throughout the whole tooth and can even go deeper into the jawbone if left untreated. It is recommended to have a cavity repaired immediately after it has been found.

Step 3

When the patient and the dentist have both decided to repair the cavity with a root canal procedure, your dentist will numb you in the needed area with a local anesthetic. The local anesthetic is usually in a shot form that is injected around the area of which the procedure will be performed. This is not a form of sedation, and so you do not have to worry about being able to move normally after the procedure.

Step 4

When the area is completely numb, your dentist will use a number of dental drills that will drill a very small hole through the top of the tooth that reaches the pulp of the tooth below. In doing so, your dentist must be extremely careful not to touch tooth walls otherwise it can ruin the tooth and procedure altogether.

Step 5

Next, the dentist will remove the tooth’s pulp with a number of dental tools. This part should not be painful as the local anesthetic should have numbed the whole area. If you do feel any pain or pressure during this step, be sure to communicate this with your dentist as he or she can give you another shot if needed.

Step 6

When the infected tooth’s pulp has been removed, your dentist will thoroughly clean the tooth to ensure no pieces of the pulp or internal tissue is left behind. This is to ensure that the infection does not linger after the procedure has finished.

Step 7

Now that your tooth is completely empty and is only left with a natural shell, your dentist will fill the tooth with the dental filling. Your dentist will also shape it in a way to make it look natural to the very top. In some cases, your dentist may even add an extra layer of a seal to the procedure by adding a dental crown. This dental crown is usually in a porcelain material and covers the whole tooth above the gum line. Once the stuff is finished, and all dental fillings are cured, your root canal therapy procedure is finished!

Aftercare

Now that the dentist has saved the natural tooth, you will need to be sure to take extra care of your teeth and gums moving forward. The tooth that had the root canal procedure performed on can be brushed and flossed just as it was a natural tooth. This procedure has just saved your natural tooth and will remain healthy and painless for many years to come. Talk to your dentist about the issues you have in your teeth and if a root canal procedure can repair the issue.