What Is Involved In Root Canal Therapy?

In most cases, when you have a toothache, the dentist will be able to eliminate your pain by removing the cavity and replacing it with a filling. However, in some cases, the damage to a tooth may be so severe that there is no way to save it. In such cases, you will need root canal therapy to get rid of your pain and discomfort.

For instance, if a tooth has become infected, the infection may reach the pulp inside the tooth. The nerve itself can become damaged. As a result, the nerve will start to die. To prevent the infection from spreading, the root canal of the tooth needs to be cleaned out.

Doing so essentially kills the tooth, which means that left untreated, it could crack and need to be pulled. To preserve as much of the natural tooth as possible, the dentist will first clean out the root canal. It will be thoroughly sterilized and then filled with a special substance that will prevent any future infections.

To protect the remains of the tooth and enable you to chew normally, the tooth must be capped with a crown. This will let you bite down without worrying that you will break the tooth. Shaping a crown can take a week or two, so during this period, you will be given a temporary crown to hold the tooth together.

Until your permanent crown is cemented in place, it is best not to chew on that side of your mouth. Once the crown has been made, your dentist will put it in place. He can then adjust the bite to make sure that you are able to chew comfortably.

Root canal therapy is the best way to preserve a tooth that has been severely damaged by infection. This way, you can maintain a healthy-looking smile.

P.S. We are proudly serving the following areas in California: 

Alta Loma, Upland, San Antonio Heights, Claremont, Montclair & Fontana.

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