At Emergency Dental Clinics, our Edmonton dentists will provide root canal therapy in cases where the pulp of a tooth is damaged or infected.
If a tooth is causing you severe pain, get to our dental office right away. An emergency root canal may the appropriate treatment option for intense tooth pain.
A root canal is treatment for the infected pulp of a tooth. It involves the removal of the infected material, and the protection of the tooth against future microbial invasion.
Inside your tooth, beneath the enamel and dentin, is a soft tissue called pulp. The pulp of your tooth is made up of blood vessels, nerves and connective tissue. A fully developed tooth can survive without the pulp because the tooth is nourished by the tissues surrounding it.
Modern root canal treatment usually involves little discomfort. In fact, it's not unlike a routine dental filling, and can usually be completed in 1 or 2 appointments.
The tooth may be sensitive for a while after the root canal. Your dentist will explain how to care for your teeth following the procedure. Once your root canal procedure is complete, your dentist will place a filling or a crown to strengthen the tooth.
While it may seem more efficient and cost effective to have a tooth pulled instead of going through a root canal, this is actually not the case.
Missing teeth need to be replaced because leaving a gap in your teeth can have serious consequences for your long term dental health. The other teeth in your mouth will shift out of place over time, causing misalignment and pain.
Replacing missing teeth can be inconvenient and expensive. Dentures can be difficult to fit properly, and dental implants involve major surgery and costs. Dental bridges require the removal of enamel from the surrounding teeth, which can lead to other dental problems down the road.
All of this can be avoided by undergoing a root canal rather than extracting the tooth.
A root canal isn’t typically any more painful than a filling, because patients get local anaesthesia before the procedure begins. However, you may experience some discomfort during your recovery from a root canal procedure. This discomfort may last for a few days, but can usually be managed with over-the-counter pain killers.
Only a dentist can diagnose a dental problem and recommend treatment. However, the following symptoms may indicate that you need a root canal:
After a root canal, your dentist will apply permanent fillings to protect the treated tooth from bacteria and to strengthen it in the process.
In many cases, the additional step of fitting a crown over the filled tooth is necessary as a result of the high risk of fracture.
Crowns provide additional protection for your now fragile tooth, and they can restore its natural appearance as well.
After your root canal, your tooth may feel sensitive for a few days. You can manage any discomfort you feel with over-the-counter pain medication, in particular anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen.
You should avoid chewing on the treated tooth until it receives its permanent filling or crown.
Dental emergencies always happen when you least expect them. Our friendly and experienced dental team is on call to assist you when you need us most.
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