Root Canals
Having a root canal procedure can literally be nerve-racking. Patients can relax, knowing that ROC Dental Group uses the very best in high tech, soft touch dentistry.
Root canal therapy, or endodontic therapy, is necessary when a cavity progresses to reach all the way to the pulp. (Regular cleanings and checkups prevent and detect problems early.) Sometimes deep restorations or trauma to a tooth may cause the nerve to be damaged to the point that it needs root canal therapy.
Once this occurs, the pulp becomes infected, and can even extend through the root tip and begin to eat away at the surrounding bone, creating an abscess. By the time the pulp is infected it must be treated and cannot heal on its own. It can even weaken the entire immune system. This is dangerous, not to mention very painful. Symptoms that the pulp has become infected may include sensitivity to hot, cold or sweets; generalized pain; swelling; pain when biting; pressure, and/or a bad taste in the mouth.
Sometimes no symptoms are apparent and the person is unaware of any problem until a checkup. A root canal is then performed to clean out the infected tooth pulp and disinfect the canals of the tooth. The only other treatment is the tooth’s extraction. Once the infection is resolved, the canal(s) are filled in to prevent any further infection. Usually a core build-up and installing a crown is recommended for restoring a tooth that has had root canal therapy.
