Damage to a tooth can be so extensive that it reaches into the nerve and canals in the roots of the tooth. In such cases, you might feel both pain and infection in the tooth. The therapy for this condition is a procedure called root canal treatment. In some cases, a root canal treatment is the sole remaining option for retaining a tooth that has undergone extensive damage or become infected.
What is a root canal treatment?
Root canal procedure involves removing infected or injured tissue (pulp) from the crown and roots of the tooth, cleaning the canals in the roots of the tooth, flushing bacterial content out and disinfecting the canal walls with chemical compounds and filling in the canals with special filling materials. As a value-added service, we also use lasers for root canal treatment, which is still not standard practice in our industry.
When do you need a root canal procedure?
There are many situations where you might need root canal treatment. To find out, here are some useful questions you can ask yourself:
- Do you have relentless pain and need to take painkillers continually for relief?
- Do you have swelling in and around a tooth, with or without pain and with or without fever?
- Do you feel pain when you eat hot food or drink hot liquid and does that pain subside when you apply cold to the area or tooth?
All of these situations point to the likelihood of damage in a tooth that requires root canal treatment. If you are unsure whether the procedure is necessary or not, book a dental appointment now.
How is a root canal treatment done?
- 1. First, Dr. Miki will freeze the affected region by administering a local anesthetic.
- 2. Then, he will place a rubber dam around the damaged tooth to protect it from bacteria in your saliva.
- 3. An opening is then made in the tooth to reach the root canal system and the damaged pulp.
- 4. Using very fine dental instruments, Dr. Miki will remove the damaged tissue by cleaning the root canal system.
- 5. After the canal has been cleaned, he will fill and seal the canal.
- 6. Finally, the opening of the tooth will be sealed with filling materials.
Is root canal treatment painful?
Generally, a root canal treatment involves no pain. In the past 20 years, dental techniques and technology have progressed so much that root canal procedures are now routinely performed with minimal discomfort or no discomfort whatsoever.
Following the treatment, there may be some discomfort; however, this is quickly resolved in the very short term if you don’t chew with the treated tooth and take appropriate medication as prescribed by Dr. Miki.
It’s important to keep in mind that the post-procedure discomfort you may feel is vastly outweighed by the benefits of keeping your natural tooth. What’s more, root canal treatment represents significant savings over substituting your natural tooth with a dental implant.
Safety concerns
At Comfort Care Dental Clinic, we perform root canal procedures that are safe, careful, and effective thanks to our use of rigorous scientific methods and state-of-the-art technology, including mechanical instrumentation, digital radiography, and lasers. Through a combination of sound and cautious techniques, we deliver relief and long-lasting solutions.
Did you know?
Please know that there is wrong information circulating on the Internet about the safety of root canal treatment. These safety concerns – regarding potential links between root canal treatment and systemic disease – are based on the “focal infection theory” from the 1930s. Multiple studies have debunked these claims. To find out more, click on the following links: Root Canal Safety and Endodontics Fact Sheet.
Need a root canal treatment in downtown Montreal?
We’re here to provide that service! Come meet our team of dedicated dental professionals at our clinic conveniently located in downtown Montreal at 2045 Stanley Street, Suite 1100 – just a two-minute walk from Peel metro station.