Root Canal Therapy in Burnaby, BC
The two words that most patients hope to never hear are “root canal.” Most patients fear root canals because they have heard stories about pain and the difficulty of treatment.
The truth, however, is that having a root canal should not be painful and is no more difficult than having a filling. In fact, having a root canal will likely relieve many of the painful symptoms that come along with a serious infection.
Why Do I Need a Root Canal?
A root canal is an endodontic therapy that removes an infection from inside your tooth. As you can imagine, having an infection inside your tooth can cause inflammation and pain, making day-to-day activities difficult. Sometimes, the infection might come from trauma or decay, but other times, it is completely unexplained.
Inside your tooth are canals that house your nerve and tissue. An infection so close to your nerve is often painful and makes eating and sleeping difficult. Root canal therapy eliminates the infection so that your body can recover and you can feel comfortable and healthy again.
How Does Root Canal Therapy Work?
At Central Park Dental Clinic, we will perform a full evaluation to make sure that a root canal is the right treatment for you. We can often detect infection on an x-ray, and in some cases, we may also test for sensitivity to hot and cold. Once we determine a root canal is the best treatment to support your health, Drs. Chan, Rensen, Chu, or Day will anesthetize your tooth so that your treatment is pain-free.
Once your tooth is numb, we will access the root canals inside your tooth and remove the infection and damaged tissue inside. Then, we will clean and sterilize the inside of your root canal to prevent further infection.
Next, we fill the canal with an inert material, treat it with any additional medication necessary, and seal your tooth.
What Happens After Root Canal Treatment?
Once we complete your root canal, we will make recommendations to treat any residual pain while your body’s natural healing process takes over. Depending on the severity of the infection, we may prescribe medication to support your healing.
It is normal to have a small amount of sensitivity as you recover. However, you should feel gradual improvement and the pain should not be severe.
Once you completely heal, we will follow up with an exam to determine that your tooth is still completely healthy. Often, we will recommend a permanent filling or crown to protect your tooth. A crown may be necessary to stabilize your tooth because teeth often become more brittle after root canal treatment.
Saving your natural tooth is one of the best and most cost-effective ways to stay healthy. By having a root canal and the proper restoration, you may preserve your tooth for decades to come.
Contact Our Burnaby BC Dental Clinic
Call us today to schedule an exam in our Burnaby, BC dental office. We look forward to supporting your health and wellness through outstanding dental care and a partnership in your oral health.
Patients who worry about root canal pain are in for a pleasant surprise. The dental procedure is virtually pain-free! Many people who visit our Burnaby dental clinic associate root canal therapy with pain, but it’s generally pain that brings people in. The pain is caused by an infection deep within the tooth root, and a root canal will actually relieve the pain and remove the infection.
