The goal of the procedure is to save a tooth that is severely infected. It’s crucial that these infections are dealt with quickly to minimize discomfort and other issues. Without treatment, the infection can become serious enough that the tooth would have to be removed.

When you have a crack in your tooth, bacteria can enter the root and it can become infected. When this happens, root canal treatment is the process that removes the injured or dead pulp from your tooth.

Pulp is the soft area in the centre of the tooth that contains the nerve, blood vessels and connective tissue. Root canals travel from the tip of the tooth’s root to the pulp.

Once the injured or dead pulp is removed, the space is inside the hard layers of the tooth is filled with soft dental pulp that help your tooth growth and develop.

What are signs that root canal treatment is needed?

These are some signs that you may need root canal treatment:

• Severe toothache pain when chewing or applying pressure
• Prolonged pain to hot or cold temperatures after they have been removed
• Darkening of the tooth
• Swelling and tenderness in nearby gums
• A recurring or persistent pimple on the gums

Sometimes, however, no symptoms are present.

Is a root canal painful?

Many people believe that a root canal causes a lot of pain and discomfort. The good news is that with the advances in technology and the use of anesthetics, the procedure is usually quick, safe and pain-free. Most of the time it’s no more painful than a typical dental filling.

During the root canal appointment, your tooth and surrounding tissue will be numbed. You can choose to have sedation to be as comfortable as possible. The procedure will be done before you know it and usually in one or two appointments.

After a root canal, it’s normal for the tooth to be tender for a week or two. But excessive pain and swelling is not normal. If bad pain and swelling happens, contact us.

How is a root canal done?

Below are the general steps the cosmetic dentist would take to do a root canal:

• Give you a local anesthetic (freezing)
• Puts a rubber dam around the tooth being treated to protect it from bacteria
• Makes an opening in the tooth to reach the root canal system and the damaged pulp
• Removes the pulp by cleaning and enlarging the root canal system
• Fills and seals the canal
• Seals the opening of the tooth with either a temporary or permanent filling

When a crack in a tooth allows bacteria to enter the root and become infected, a root canal may be necessary. During this procedure, a fine instrument is used to remove the infected pulp from the root, and the space is then filled and possibly capped with a crown.  It is important that these infections be dealt with swiftly to minimize both discomfort and further issues.

What to Expect

The professional team at Downsview Dental understands the anxiety that accompanies the phrase “root canal”. However, we wish to assure you that advances in technology have made the procedure a quick and painless one. At your root canal appointment, the tooth and surrounding tissue will be numbed and you can even opt for sedation to keep you as comfortable as possible. The dentist will explain every step of the procedure to you and it will be over before you know it!