Root Canal Therapy In Edmonton
ROOT CANAL THERAPY
What Is A Root Canal?
Endodontic Therapy — more often referred to as Root Canal Treatment — is a restorative procedure that treats teeth with dying or abscessed nerve tissues.
Unlike restorations that are placed on or within the outer layers of tooth structure, root canals treat the innermost nerve chamber.
Since root canal therapy removes the source of pain (swollen, infected pulp tissues) they provide long-term relief for chronic toothaches and abscessed teeth.
Deep Cavity Involving Nerve
Root Canal Treatment Removing Infected Pulp
Root canals are typically one of the last lines of defense. At Sky Dental, our Edmonton dentists want to do everything possible to help you save your natural smile. Endodontic therapy makes that possible.
When Are Root Canals Needed?
Root canal treatment is necessary when a tooth is dying, you’re in pain, or have an abscessed nerve. Signs of structural damage — such as visible decay or fractures — are often present. Depending on the circumstances, you might even experience the occasional toothache or see an abscess flare up along the gums. We’ll need to take an X-ray to assess the health of both the nerve and surrounding tooth root to make a formal diagnosis.
If your tooth hurts, is hypersensitive, or you have a known abscess, we highly encourage you to plan a dental exam at your earliest opportunity. Our dentists will walk you through their findings and recommendations.
Steps For A Root Canal
Step 1:
Depending on the current condition and severity of your tooth, antibiotics and pain relief may be needed before starting your procedure.
Step 2:
We gently freeze the tooth to make sure there is adequate anaesthesia so that you’re comfortable during the procedure. We remove all the decay (cavities) and may need to build up the missing areas of the tooth.
We then find all the canals, remove infected pulp tissue, and place a medicine into the canals to kill off all the remaining bacteria and infection. We then put a temporary filling into the tooth and wait 1 week to allow the medicine to work. You can expect some discomfort following the initial procedure, but it is usually managed well with over the counter medication.
Step 3:
After the waiting period, we now get the tooth ready to finish the root canal. Just because you may be out of pain, does not mean the tooth is out of the woods yet!
We shape the canals to fit a biocompatible rubber called Gutta Percha to fill and seal the root system. Your tooth then has a permanent filling placed.
Although endodontically-treated teeth are no longer “alive”, you still rely on them for biting and chewing. To prevent any wear or chipping in their enamel, we recommend placing a protective dental crown over the tooth shortly after your root canal is completed.
Call Sky Dental today to reserve an exam.
Our office is located at 830 Parsons Rd SW, Edmonton, AB T6X 0B4, Canada.