Saving Teeth with Endodontics

Nothing in the dental office is quite as intimidating and mysterious as the dreaded “root canal”.  Root canal treatment has a negative reputation that has been lingering since the 1950’s.  Dental treatment has come a long way since then, and a skilled dental surgeon like Dr. Bayne can save your tooth comfortably with modern endodontic therapy.

When the nerve inside of a tooth dies or becomes infected, there are only two options: either extract the tooth or perform root canal therapy (RCT), also called Endodontics.  Sometimes extraction is the best option; however, saving your tooth with Endodontics is often preferred.

Teeth that have nerve damage are sometimes sensitive to biting, sensitive to hot and cold, or could be free of pain if the nerve inside the tooth is dead.  In addition to localized pain, the resulting dental infection can cause your entire body to feel “run down” as your immune system struggles to keep the infection under control.  Dental infections from deep cavities are occasionally life-threatening. 

Basically the biggest, deepest dental filling possible, the process of root canal therapy (RCT) involves thoroughly numbing the surgical site, and then gently and thoroughly cleaning out the infection using delicate endodontic instruments and solutions.  The site is sealed and filled accurately and completely.  A dental crown is then usually placed to restore the tooth to its proper shape, size, and strength.

What is a root canal and will it hurt?  This is the most common question that many patients have.  Root canals are a very common procedure and do not hurt in any way.  Actually, many times root canals will relieve any pain the patient is experiencing.  Root canals are designed to save your natural tooth and prevent you from loosing your tooth.  Many times before we extract a tooth, Dr. Bayne will perform root canal therapy to prevent extractions. 
A root canal means removing infection.  The inside of our teeth, called the Pulp, are made up a dense supply of blood vessels.  If the tooth has been traumatized, has deep decay or is fractured, the Pulp can become infected and diseased.  The key symptoms of an infected Pulp is swelling of the surrounding gums and hot and cold sensitivity.  If these symptoms are present, Dr. Bayne proceeds with the root canal.
Many times the root canal can be finished in one visit.  The visit takes about two hours.  Dr. Bayne starts the therapy with numbing the tooth for comfort.  He then uses advanced instrumentation to remove the infection from the canal.  Once the infection is removed, he sterilizes the canal and then seals  the canal to prevent future infection.
What happens after root canal therapy?  Most importantly after therapy is prevention.  Dr. B’s goal is to seal up the tooth with a more permanent restoration so that no future infection will occur.  A porcelain crown is recommended in most all r.c.therapy cases.   A crown is the best way to “seal” up the compromised and weakened tooth.  Also, proper oral hygiene is important to keep that tooth free from infection.

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before and after by Dr. Bayne

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