What is a Root Canal Procedure?

Greetings Plano! Welcome back to the ongoing dental health blog of 1st In Smiles. We hope you’re prepared for the holiday season, because it’s here already. It’s hard to believe how fast the year has flown by, it seems like just yesterday we were wearing green to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.

At 1st In Smiles in Plano, TX, we love help our patients achieve beautiful and healthy teeth. But we understand how easy it can be to lose sight of your oral health during the holiday season. If you have a toothache, it can be easy to just take some Tylenol and hope that it goes away. But a toothache is often a sign from your body that you have an infected tooth.

An infected tooth can cause you a lot of discomfort if it’s not properly treated in time. Infections can spread from your tooth to surrounding teeth and your gums. Root Canal treatment at 1st In Smiles in Plano, TX, can often bring relief for a toothache and/or infected tooth.

Many patients cringe a little bit when they hear that they need to undergo a root canal treatment. But at 1st In Smiles in Plano, TX, we’ve noticed a lot of misconceptions exist regarding this vitally important treatment. So in today’s post, we want to answer that question that’s probably lingering in your mind: “What is a root canal procedure?”

Contrary to belief, root canal treatment does not need to be painful. Dental technology has come along way towards making this routine procedure into one which is free of any discomfort. At 1st In Smiles in Plano, TX, our skilled work and use of advanced technology can save an infected tooth – preventing the need for it to removed – without causing you any pain or discomfort during your root canal treatment.

At 1st In Smiles in Plano, TX, we use root canal treatments to save teeth that are being affected by a cavity that’s too large to be filled, teeth which have been fractured or otherwise injured, or teeth which are infected. Root canal treatments for all this conditions have the same purpose: to prevent your tooth from dying, or needing to be pulled.

Your teeth will often display certain signs if you need a root canal. You may need a root canal if you are suffering from frequent toothaches, or notice sensitivity to hot or cold temperatures.You may also notice a discoloration of your tooth, or a foul taste in your mouth.

During root canal treatment, we carefully remove disease and decay from the center of your tooth. The soft inner material of your teeth contains dental pulp, housing the nerves, tissues, and blood vessels, of your tooth. We actually remove the dental pulp inside of your tooth, and then use a dental crown to restore the tooth. This treatment both prevents further damage to your teeth, and prevents infection from spreading.

Root canal treatment at 1st In Smiles in Plano, TX, is simple and effective. Root canal treatment can often be completed a in a single appointment, but sometimes requires up to three appointments to complete depending on the condition of your tooth. If your root canal treatment will require more than one appointment, we can use a temporary filling to protect your tooth until your next appointment.

In the days following your root canal treatment, you may experience some very minor discomfort and swelling in your tooth. Any discomfort or swelling should disappear in a few days as your tooth regains its health. Root canal treatment has a very high success rate, as long as you maintain good hygiene through brushing and flossing, and having your teeth professionally cleaned every six months.

At 1st In Smiles in Plano, TX, our root canal treatments have such a high success rate, that we actually offer a warranty on them. Should you develop any problems from your root canal treatment, we will fix them. Contact our office for more information about our root canal warranty policy.

Make an Appointment

Have you noticed any signs that your tooth may be infected? If you are experiencing frequent toothaches or sensitive to hot or cold temperatures, you should have your teeth examined as soon as possible. If necessary, we can provide pain-free root canal treatment. Schedule an appointment at 1st In Smiles in Plano, TX, by calling 972-380-8105.