What is a Root Canal?
Root canal therapy is required in those situations in which the nerve tissue within the tooth has become irreversibly inflamed or necrotic.
Generally caused by tooth decay or trauma, “pulp” nerve tissue damage can be an excruciating experience. Symptoms include pain while chewing, sensitivity, and swelling.
If left untreated, tooth damage can lead to abscesses, or pus-filled infections, and eventually to tooth loss.
Endodontics, or root canal therapy, is the area of dentistry that deals with treating dental pulp damage. Oftentimes, it is the best way to directly address the pain and save the tooth.
During a root canal procedure, the infected or irreversibly inflamed nerve tissue is removed, the pulp space is cleaned and sterilized, and is filled with a material to prevent further infection.
Painless Root Canal Therapy
With proper management and anesthesia, root canal therapy can be a pain-free process! Dr. Venincasa takes every measure to ensure our patients’ maximum comfort throughout the procedure.
This is possible by the way we manage our patient’s treatment. Management is the name of the game when it comes to root canal treatment. We will not continue with performing a root canal if the patient is uncomfortable. The last thing we want to do is to create a poor experience. It is not uncommon for our patients to fall asleep during a root canal procedure!
If you are experiencing tooth pain, sensitivity, or swelling, it is important to obtain care as soon as possible, not only to relieve your pain, but also to save the tooth from more extensive damage.
We will not perform root canal therapy on a tooth unless Dr. Venincasa is convinced that the tooth requires one. While these procedures can be very successful, there are times when they may fail. In the event that they fail, the options for treatment are limited.
In most cases, a failing root canal requires extraction of the tooth. It is for this reason that Dr. Venincasa will not do root canal therapy unless absolutely necessary.
Following Root Canal Therapy, Crown Coverage
The procedure of root canal therapy results in a tooth no longer having a blood supply. As a result, the tooth no longer has a moisture supply. As the tooth dries out, it becomes more brittle and thus more likely to break.
In order to prevent the tooth from breaking, teeth which have been treated by root canal therapy are recommended for coverage with a full crown.
There are times when root canal therapy must be performed through an existing crown. As long as the integrity of the crown is not compromised during the entry for root canal therapy, then a new crown may not be necessary.
The exception to this is when root canal therapy is performed towards the front part of the mouth. Since biting forces are reduced on these teeth, it is possible that a crown may not be needed.
If you are experiencing tooth pain, call us right away to schedule an appointment.
