Your Port Moody Invisalign® Provider
At Westport Dental, our Port Moody dentist Dr. Amar Dev offers endodontic and root canal treatment for patients in the Tri-City area.
Endodontic & Root Canal Treatment
Endodontics is the dental specialty concerning dental pulp and tissues surrounding the roots of a tooth. In many cases, a diseased tooth can be saved with endodontic and root canal treatment.
A root canal is typically a safe and effective dental procedure during which your dentist removes a damaged tooth root, preventing the need for an extraction.
By choosing endodontic treatment, you are deciding to keep your natural teeth so you can continue to eat your favorite foods and maintain your overall health.
Root Canal Treatments
Pulling a damaged or diseased tooth should always be a last resort. With endodontic treatment, we can help save your tooth and preserve your healthy smile for years to come.
Benefits of Root Canal Treatment
Root canal treatment can help relieve painful symptoms caused by an infected or inflamed tooth. Symptoms include such as severe tooth pain, throbbing sensations, and sensitivity to hot and cold temperatures.
By removing bacteria and decay from the interior of the tooth, your dentist can help stop the spread of infection and repair the healthy portion of your tooth.
Treatment can also preserve your existing natural teeth, and limit the need for more invasive and time-consuming dental work in the future.
Most patients who undergo root canal treatment experience minimal pain or discomfort, and enjoy all the benefits of a restored tooth. With proper care, most teeth that have been treated can last a lifetime.
Root Canal Treatment FAQs
- Why would my dentist recommend a root canal?
Endodontic treatment is necessary when the pulp becomes inflamed or infected. The inflammation or infection can have a variety of causes: deep decay, repeated dental procedures on the tooth, or a crack or chip in the tooth.
In addition, a blow to a tooth may cause pulp damage even if the tooth has no visible chips or cracks. If pulp inflammation or infection is left untreated, it can cause pain or lead to an abscess.
Signs of pulp damage include pain, prolonged sensitivity to heat or cold, discoloration of the tooth, swelling and tenderness in the nearby gums. Sometimes, there are no symptoms.
- Will my tooth last forever after treatment?
Root canal treatment has been reported to be up to 95% successful. Many factors influence the treatment outcome: the patient’s general health, bone support around the tooth, strength of the tooth including possible fracture lines, shape and condition of the root and nerve canal(s) and continued follow-up care.
Although we cannot guarantee the successful outcome of root canal procedures, you can be assured that the most advanced techniques and treatment modalities will be performed to ensure the best prognosis possible.
- Why can't I use antibiotics to make the abscess go away?
Unfortunately, when a tooth is infected, the blood supply (pulp) running through the tooth is affected as well. As a result, there is no way to conduct the antibiotics to the needed area.
However, antibiotics do help control and eliminate the infection in the surrounding bone before and after root canal therapy.
- Are root canals painful?
Local anaesthesia (freezing) makes treatment painless. While there may be some discomfort for a brief period after treatment, this can be controlled with over-the-counter medications.
- What will happen to my tooth after root canal treatment?
It will be necessary for you to see your general dentist to have a permanent filling placed or a cap (crown) made for the tooth. Your general dentist will assist you in choosing the most suitable kind of restoration.
- What should I expect after root canal treatment?
It's critical to schedule an appointment with your dentist as soon as possible, preferably within two weeks after root canal treatment completion, so a permanent restoration such as a filling and/or crown can be placed unless otherwise discussed.
Removal of pulp tissue from a root canal can produce an inflammation in the socket holding the tooth. Unlike our skin which can expand, increased fluid in bone produces pressure on sensitive structures like the membranes of our sinuses or large nerve structures in our jaw.
All inflammation takes 7 to 10 days to disappear (think how long a cold lasts). The medications you are given will help to minimize any discomfort from the inflammation resulting from your condition and the treatment rendered. However, if you are unsure, please feel free to contact our office so that we may check the progress of your healing.