Endodontics or root canal therapy is dentistry that focuses on diseases and injuries of dental pulp, the soft tissues inside a tooth. Its purpose is to save a natural tooth and to relieve pain.
Did you know that more than 14 million teeth receive endodontic treatment each year? By choosing endodontic treatment, you are making the decision to keep your natural teeth, giving you the ability to chew, bite, speak, talk, and laugh with confidence for years to come.
Beneath the hard enamel exterior of your tooth, there is a canal that contains pulp – blood vessels, nerves, and connective tissue. Because it does most of its work during tooth development, adult teeth are able to survive without pulp by drawing nutrients from surrounding tissues. That’s why, when tooth pulp becomes inflamed or infected, often the choice of treatment includes removing the pulp and therefore the infection.
Common Reasons For Infection And Inflammation Include:
When these things happen, you may experience severe pain, pain that becomes worse when you chew or bite, sensitivity to cold and hot foods and drinks, sore gums, discolored gums, and small pimple-like bumps on your gums.
At Daniels Parkway Dental, when we consider endodontic therapy for you, we have two main goals: (1) to get you out of pain quickly and permanently, and (2) to save your tooth.
Why we want to relieve your pain immediately is easily understood! But why are we so focused on saving your tooth? It’s because when you’re missing a tooth, the neighboring teeth must work harder to help you chew and bite, and the extra stress may cause them to fracture. Remaining teeth will also drift into the gap left behind by the missing tooth, negatively affecting the way your teeth and jaws fit together, which can cause jaw and face pain, difficulty eating and speaking, and more!
We know that for some people, endodontics or root canal therapy has a bad reputation, but with advancements in technology, the procedure has been refined over the yeras. At Daniels Parkway Dental, we ensure your comfort. Before your treatment, we’ll always discuss sedation options with you and help you to choose the one that works best for you.
Root canals are often thought of as painful procedures. The reality is that the infection is usually the source of the pain and the root canal is the solution. A successful root canal takes away the pain and saves the tooth.
If you have questions about endodontic care, be sure to contact our office. We want to help you enjoy every day with a pain-free, healthy, beautiful smile!