Have you ever heard someone say they would rather have a root canal than do something else? If so, then you know this wasn’t an expression of how much they love root canals, but rather how much they dislike that other thing.
Root canals have a bad rap. This procedure often is a great way to stop the pain you may be experiencing on a daily basis.
And thanks to improvements in dental technology, we can perform root canals with minimal stress and pain. You may not feel anything.
You don’t have to keep living with your painful tooth. Call Beaumont Family Dentistry in Lexington to get the treatment you need. With our three locations, we can serve patients all across Central Kentucky.
Why you may need a root canal treatment
If you’ve been hoping that pain in your mouth will just go away, it may be time to seek treatment instead.
A tooth that is severely decayed needs to be treated for your sake and for the health of your mouth. When this decay gets into your root canal, it can affect the nerves and blood vessels inside your tooth. This can cause symptoms such as:
– Am abscessed tooth.
– Bone loss around the root
– A dark or discolored tooth
– Swelling of the gums
– Sensitivity to hot and cold food and drinks
– A foul smell in your breath
In some cases, you also may experience a fever, swollen neck glands and gums, and sores in your gums.
Whatever concerns you may have about getting a root canal treatment, letting your problem persist is worse.
Treating your problem
If you should require a root canal procedure, our staff is ready and able to help.
Your dentist will use a local anesthetic to numb your tooth. If necessary, you can also be sedated during your procedure. (We offer three types of sedation, which you can learn about here.)
Once you are numbed or sedated, the dentist will make a hole in the crown of your tooth. This will allow the dentist to remove the infected pulp from inside the tooth.
After the pulp is removed, the dentist will disinfect the inside of your tooth. This is when you will receive the filling you need. The filling (called gutta-percha) replaces the pulp.
After the root canal has been filled, the dentist can place a crown over your tooth. After your procedure, your pain should go away.
Years ago, root canals were painful to treat. Thankfully, modern endodontic tools (tools designed to treat pulp in your teeth) can remove infected pulp with little to no pain or stress.
If your infection is too severe, then a root canal may not be enough to fix the problem. In those cases, we may recommend removing the tooth or teeth completely.
Your tooth can be replaced with a dental implant, which can be fitted with a porcelain crown. This crown looks just like a real tooth and will give you the appearance of a complete set of teeth.
Either way, if you are experiencing one or more the symptoms mentioned above, you should schedule a visit to see one of our dentists. Proper treatment starts with diagnosing the problem.
Saving your teeth
Obviously, we would prefer that you never need a root canal procedure. While modern dentistry has lead to great advances in how root canal infections are treated, it’s always better to take preventive steps.
Those steps include brushing twice a day, flossing every day, and coming to one of our offices for a professional cleaning every six months.
A good oral hygiene routine is the best way to prevent plaque and tartar buildup, which cause many problems we treat every day. Tooth decay, gum disease, and bone deterioration all may result from poor oral care.
We can’t make you pick up your toothbrush and your floss, but we will continue to strongly encourage you to do so. Preventive care is much more manageable and much less painful than emergency care.
If you believe you are having a root canal problem, please contact our team at Beaumont Family Dentistry as soon as possible. We have three offices in Lexington to serve our patients throughout Central Kentucky.
Call one of our offices at 859-223-2120 (Beaumont), 859-687-0975 (Hamburg), or 859-368-8260 (Leestown), or use our online form to make an appointment. Whether you need a cleaning or a root canal, we want to give you the care you deserve.