Root Canals

• Root canal therapy is highly successful. Many patients believe that the only option for a severely decayed tooth is to remove it.
• The indications for root canal treatment include: sensitivity to hot and cold, severe tooth pain, swelling or tenderness, abscess on the gums, or there may be no symptoms present.
• Reasons for a root canal may also include injury or trauma, decay that has reached the pulp, and infection within the tooth.

Root canal therapy will involve more than one appointment.

• Dr. Harter will perform the root canal therapy or you may be referred to a specialist for very difficult cases.
• At your first visit, Dr. Harter will numb the tooth and isolate it using a rubber dam. This keeps the tooth dry from saliva and blood. Once isolated doctor creates an access to the inside of the tooth, and all of the infected pulp tissue is removed. Once cleaned, the tooth is sealed from further infection by a permanent filling. In some cases it is necessary to place a crown following the root canal.

Remember regular dental visits combined with good eating habits and oral hygiene help lengthen the life of the root canal. Following treatment the tooth may be sensitive. This sensitivity will subside with time and as the inflammation diminishes.