ROOT CANALS
Root canal therapy can help relieve pain and save a tooth from the need for extraction. If your tooth is infected or has sustained a serious injury, root canal therapy may be the only option to save your tooth.
People often associate root canal therapy with pain, but in actuality, the pain they associate with root canals is usually from the condition and not the treatment. At Iqaluit Dental Clinic, we make sure our patients are completely comfortable for every procedure and we strive to increase your comfort through skillful treatment.
Root Canal Therapy
Inside your tooth exist delicate living tissues and cells called the pulp and nerve. This area is what gives your tooth its vitality. Occasionally, often for unknown reasons, this delicate tissue becomes infected. When this happens, it can cause an abscess, swelling, and pain. We can help by removing this infection so that your tooth stops hurting. Having an active infection anywhere in your body is dangerous for your health.
In order to remove the infection, we need to access the inside of your tooth. Don’t worry! We will make sure you are completely numb before we begin. We want you to feel comfortable for your treatment.
Once we gain access to the inside of your tooth, we clean it out completely and pack it with an inert material and possibly some medication to help prevent further infection. You won’t feel a thing during this process. We will work efficiently and skillfully, so you can begin healing.
After we complete your procedure, we will close off the access we made into your tooth and give you some time to heal. You should feel significantly better in a couple of days. If you have some residual soreness, we can recommend medication to help.
Once the healing time has passed, usually between one and three weeks, we will check to make sure the infection did not come back and make a decision about how to permanently seal and stabilize your tooth.
Care Following Your Procedure
In some cases, we may decide that a filling will be enough to keep your tooth healthy. In many cases, however, a dental crown may be the better option. Because we removed the vital tissue from your tooth, it can become brittle and more susceptible to damage over time. We may recommend a dental crown – especially if your tooth is a molar and receives force from chewing.
Call Us Today for an Evaluation
Do you need a root canal or suspect that something is wrong with your tooth? Call us as soon as possible so we can help you feel better. Root canals can be comfortable procedures, and our dentists are gentle, skilled, and professional. We look forward to helping restore your health and your smile at Iqaluit Dental Clinic.