At Gainesville Family Dentistry we offer Root Canal Therapy.

Root canal therapy is designed to correct disorders of the dental pulp -- the soft tissue inside the tooth that contains nerves, blood vessels, and connective tissue. Teeth with abscessed, or infected, nerves were once removed with corrective therapy. But now, in 95 percent of these cases of pulpal infection, the natural tooth can be saved through modern endodontic procedures.

The most common causes of pulpal nerve damage are:

• Physical Irritation: generally brought on by aggressive tooth decay (cavity) reaching down to the nerve or through deep fillings, which allows harmful bacteria to reach the nerve resulting in infection and decay
• Trauma: a blow to a tooth or the jaw can cause damage to sensitive nerve tissue within the tooth.

The following are the most common symptoms of pulpal nerve damage. However, each individual may experience symptoms differently. Symptoms may include:

• pain in the tooth when biting down
• tooth pain while chewing
• oversensitivity of the teeth with hot or cold drinks
• facial swelling

The symptoms of pulpal nerve damage may resemble other oral health conditions. Without treatment, the infection of the dental pulp will spread to the bone around the tooth, making it not longer able to hold the tooth in place.

The thing most patients are concerned with is whether or not the procedure will be painful. With the latest technologies and anesthetics, root canal treatment is no more uncomfortable than having a filling placed. While many patients may be in great pain before seeing the dentist, most report that the pain is relieved by the treatment and they are comfortable during the procedure. For the first few days after treatment, the tooth may feel sensitive, especially if there was pain or infection before the procedure. This discomfort can be relieved with over-the-counter or prescription medications.

During the root canal procedure, the dentist carefully numbs the tooth, removes the inflamed or infected pulp, carefully cleans and shapes the inside of the tooth, then fills and seals the space to prevent further infection and discomfort. However, after a root canal, it is essential that the patient return to have a crown or other restoration placed over the endodontically treated tooth to protect it. Often a post and core procedure will be done prior to making the crown to restore the tooth to its original form and function.

Once the root canal therapy is completed, there will be changes to adapt to, including:

• brittleness - a pulp-less tooth is more brittle than a non-treated tooth and great care should be used to avoid fracture and chipping.
• discoloration - a non-vital tooth may become discolored over time, which can be treated with bleaching. In most cases, the discoloration poses no threat to the health of the tooth

In addition, soft tissue inflammation may be a source of irritation in the weeks following surgery. Consult your dentist, for a treatment approach to help control any post-operative swelling and discomfort.


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