What Is a Root Canal?
At Made Ya Smile Dental West 8, our talented team strives to offer conservative yet comprehensive care to meet your family's needs. Teeth that are broken, injured, or decayed are often treated with a filling or other restoration. However, when the damage is too great and impacts the center area and nerves of the tooth (pulp), endodontic treatment may be necessary to save the tooth from needing an extraction. A root canal is a type of endodontic procedure that we offer to treat teeth that are damaged or infected internally to preserve your oral health and function. When damaged or infected teeth remain untreated, the risk of tooth loss increases and the oral infection may impact other parts of your body and general health.
Our general dentist may recommend a root canal for teeth that are abscessed, injured, extensively decayed, or infected. Using modern techniques and effective dental anesthesia, our team provides root canal therapy with minimal discomfort. If you have a damaged tooth, please do not avoid root canal therapy if this treatment is needed to save your oral health. We take a gentle approach to care and always place your comfort and safety as our top priority. Sedation dentistry may also be combined with your root canal procedure to help you relax and enjoy a pleasant dental experience. To learn more about modern endodontics for an infected tooth, get touch with our Houston, TX team today.
Root Canal Therapy Reviews
What Are The Benefits Of Root Canal Therapy?
The dentists at Made Ya Smile understand that a root canal treatment can be daunting. However, thanks to advancements in dental technologies, root canal therapy has become a quick and efficient oral treatment at our Houston, TX office. Root canal therapy provides several benefits to your oral health, including:
- Alleviates pain
- Prevents infection from spreading further
- Reduces and alleviates tooth sensitivity
- Protects adjacent teeth from shifting and infection
- More affordable when compared to dental implants, bridges, or crowns
How Can I tell if i need a root canal?
Do I need a root canal? If you're asking that question, it's safe to assume that you may at least need a dental exam at Made Ya Smile. However, teeth that are cracked, fractured, injured, infected, or significantly decayed may require root canal therapy. If you are experiencing one or more of these symptoms, you may need a root canal:
- Blister-like bump on the gums or swollen gums
- Discoloration or graying of a tooth
- Toothache, pressure, or dull pain in the jaw
- Pain or discomfort when biting or chewing
- Sensitivity to sweets or hot and cold temperatures
- A tooth that is damaged, cracked, or chipped
- A loose tooth
How long does a typical root canal take?
How long does a root canal take? On average, most root canals take about 30 – 60 minutes, but more extensive treatments may take longer.
When your root canal procedure begins, your tooth and surrounding tissues will be thoroughly numbed with an effective local anesthetic. We will then create a small opening in the top of the tooth and clean out the damaged areas within the pulp and down through your tooth roots. Using special endodontic files, our team will reshape your roots and then disinfect the tooth. A special filling material will be placed and sealed off with a sedative filling. Your tooth will then be given time to heal.
Endodontic therapy can help to save a damaged tooth from requiring extraction and can minimize the need for more complex dental needs. Root canal therapy removes the nerve and blood supply of a tooth, which may make the teeth more brittle and at a greater risk for breaking. Following a root canal, we may recommend a dental crown to protect the tooth while restoring normal function and appearance.
We understand that you may have concerns about your comfort during a root canal procedure. However, with advanced techniques and effective dental anesthetics, having a root canal performed on your tooth is nothing to fear. Please talk with us during your consultation if you are anxious and believe you may benefit from sedation dentistry services for your procedure. We offer nitrous oxide sedation for mild dental fear along with oral-conscious sedation for those who have more moderate anxiety. Our team can help you select the option to best meet your needs.
how long is Recovery After a Root Canal?
When your root canal therapy is complete, our team will give you instructions on caring for your mouth as your tooth heals. It is best to wait until your mouth no longer feels numb to eat to reduce the chance of biting on your soft tissue. You should also have an adult companion drive you home if you received oral-conscious sedation for your procedure since you will feel drowsy for a few hours until the sedative effects fully leave your body. You may have some tenderness around your treated tooth, which can often be relieved with over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication. In some cases, we may prescribe an antibiotic to help minimize the infection in your jaw. A few weeks after your root canal, we will have you return for a follow-up evaluation to check your healing. Keeping up with routine daily home care and regular cleaning and exam visits with our team can help keep your smile in good health following endodontic care.
Root Canal Therapy FAQ
What are the alternatives to a root canal?
Having your infected tooth extracted is the only alternative to a root canal. Our team of dentists will always try to save your natural tooth first. A tooth extraction opens the door to other oral health concerns; if a tooth can be saved through a root canal, we strongly recommend that you opt for that procedure.
Is root canal therapy painful?
Thanks to innovative techniques and advanced dental technology, a root canal is just about as uncomfortable as a cavity filling. Before your root canal procedure in our Jersey Villiage, TX office begins, our team will numb your tooth so that you do not experience any pain.
How long does it take to recover from a root canal?
Your dental surgery team will review your aftercare instructions with you during your consultation at our office. Typically, it only takes a few days to recover from a root canal. If you have any questions or concerns regarding your root canal recovery, please do not hesitate to consult your dental surgery team.
Are Root Canals Covered by Insurance?
Many dental insurance plans offer some coverage toward root canal therapy. Made Ya Smile Dental West 8 is a participating provider for most major PPO dental plans and will work to help you maximize your insurance benefits. We want you to get the care you need for better oral health and offer payment solutions to make your care easier to afford. If you have personal expenses for your endodontic treatment, talk to our team about our convenient payment methods, including flexible patient financing plans through CareCredit®.
Modern Endodontic Treatment
A root canal procedure may be necessary to save your tooth from extraction and bring health back to your smile. At Made Ya Smile Dental West 8, our team caters to your comfort and are committed to making your root canal procedure as relaxed and positive as possible. Please do not put off treatment if you have tooth discoloration, pain, or other symptoms that may be coming from a damaged, infected, or injured tooth. Get in touch with our Houston, TX team who puts your care and comfort first and schedule your evaluation today.
