Root canals aren’t nearly as bad as everyone thinks. In reality, a root canal is no more uncomfortable than a filling, and can actually relieve you of the intense pain caused by an infected or damaged tooth. Joel Scheir, DDS, and Danielle Scheir, DMD, are highly skilled dental professionals who provide safe and gentle root canals for their patients at Cosmetic & General Dentistry of New City in New City, New York. Schedule your root canal by calling the office or booking an appointment online, and get your oral health back on track today.
A root canal (or endodontic therapy) is a procedure that saves a tooth when its nerve supply is irreparably damaged or decayed. It involves removing all of the decayed pulp from your tooth and replacing it with a rubber-like compound called gutta-percha.
The old method of treating a tooth with damaged or infected pulp was to extract it entirely, which makes a root canal an advanced treatment option with many advantages to your overall oral health.
Your pulp is vital in helping your tooth to grow and mature before it emerges into your mouth, but once your tooth erupts through the gumline and settles into your smile, the pulp doesn’t serve much of an essential purpose. It enables your tooth to feel hot and cold sensations but doesn’t have many functions beyond that.
If your tooth pulp is damaged or decayed, you might notice any of the following:
In some cases, a damaged or infected tooth might not show symptoms until it’s too late, which is why it’s important to maintain regular cleanings and exams with your dentist.
Without proper treatment, your damaged or decayed tooth only gets worse. Avoiding a root canal can lead to a number of severe health conditions, both in your mouth and in the rest of your body, including:
Don’t delay treatment if you think you need a root canal.
Many people mistakenly believe root canals are particularly painful or uncomfortable, but much of that sentiment is because of movies and TV shows exaggerating the procedure. With localized anesthetics and modern dental technology, your root canal won’t be any more difficult than a dental filling.
To learn more about what’s involved in getting a root canal, or to schedule your root canal, call the offices at Cosmetic & General Dentistry of New City or book an appointment online today.