When a tooth is badly damaged or infected, root canal therapy offers a second chance to save it. At Lifetime Dental of Gainesville, we prioritize your oral health and comfort with advanced, minimally-invasive techniques designed to preserve your natural teeth and alleviate pain.
What is Root Canal Therapy?
Root canal therapy is a procedure used to treat infected or severely decayed teeth. It involves removing the infected pulp, thoroughly cleaning the tooth’s inner chamber and sealing it to prevent further infection. Our team uses advanced technology to ensure effective and painless treatment, making it comparable in comfort to receiving a routine filling.
Do I Need Root Canal Therapy?
Not every toothache means you’ll need a root canal. But when a tooth is badly decayed, infected or damaged, this treatment can be the key to saving it. A root canal is designed to relieve pain, protect your natural tooth and restore your health. Some signs it may be needed include the following:
- Severe toothache or dental pain that’s lasted for more than 24 hours
- New or worsening tooth sensitivity to hot or cold temperatures
- Pain in one or more teeth when you bite down
- Swollen, red, or tender gum tissue
- Bump on the gums near the painful tooth
If you notice any of these symptoms, don’t wait. Reach out to our dentist in Gainesville right away.
The Root Canal Process
We’ll begin with a gentle, thorough assessment, often using advanced 3D scanning to quickly and precisely identify the problem. Once we know what’s causing your discomfort, we’ll keep you completely comfortable with local anesthetic while carefully removing the infection and cleaning the inside of your tooth. To protect and strengthen it, we’ll seal the tooth and often place a custom crown, crafted the very same day with our advanced technology. In just one visit, you’ll leave not only pain-free, but with your smile restored in both health and appearance.
The Benefits of Getting a Root Canal
- Preservation of Natural Teeth: Avoid tooth extraction and keep your natural smile intact.
- Pain Relief: Eliminates the source of toothache and infection, providing instant relief.
- Prevention of Further Damage: Stops the spread of infection, safeguarding your overall oral health.
- Painless Treatment: Root canals might have a bad reputation, but that’s far from reality! Today, they are virtually pain-free, similar to getting a standard filling, and require much less healing time than an extraction.
Giving Your Tooth a Second Chance
Common signs that you might require a root canal include a persistent toothache, sensitivity to hot or cold, swollen gums around the affected tooth or a pimple on the gums. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, it’s important to contact us for an evaluation.
Thanks to modern dental techniques and local anesthetics, root canal treatments are typically no more uncomfortable than having a cavity filled. We also offer sedation options to ensure your comfort throughout the procedure.
The length of the procedure can vary depending on the complexity of the case, but most root canals can be completed in about 60 to 90 minutes. At Lifetime Dental, the entire process, including the placement of a same-day crown, can be completed in one visit.
Many dental insurance plans cover root canal therapy. Our team at Lifetime Dental of Gainesville will assist in determining your coverage and exploring financing options like CareCredit if needed.
Post-treatment care involves maintaining good oral hygiene by brushing and flossing regularly. It’s also important to attend follow-up visits for checks on your healing progress.
If a tooth that was once causing you pain now feels completely fine, don’t celebrate yet! Most often, this is the result of the infection “killing” the nerve of your tooth. This means that the damage is dangerously close to spreading throughout your mouth, resulting in even further complications. So, the short answer is “yes, even if your toothache went away, you still need root canal treatment.”
Typically, patients feel better within three days. In that time, there are a few things you can do to combat the soreness, including sticking to soft foods, placing a cold compress against the outside of your cheek, rinsing with warm saltwater and taking OTC pain medication. If your pain persists or worsens, then you should contact our Gainesville dental team ASAP so we can make sure an infection hasn’t developed.
Don’t Delay Your Dental Health
Take charge of your dental health with confidence. Contact Lifetime Dental of Gainesville today at (770) 536-6688 or visit us at 1419 Pearce Cir, Gainesville, GA 30501 to schedule your root canal consultation.