According to the American Association of Endodontists, American dentists perform over 41,000 root canal procedures every day. While root canals have an outdated reputation for being painful, modern dentistry has improved the treatment, so it’s a virtually pain-free method of preserving and protecting your teeth.
Here at Fifth Avenue Dental Arts in San Diego, California, our gentle and experienced dentists, Ramin Ghassemi, DDS, MS, and Nina Mojaver, DMD, combine state-of-the-art dental technology and equipment with kind and compassionate care to perform root canals.
Removing damage
During a root canal, we remove damaged and decayed tissue from inside your tooth. The hard dentin and enamel of your teeth cover and protect a pulpy interior that houses the blood vessels and nerves that keep your tooth alive. If you crack or break a tooth or have a large cavity, bacteria can penetrate the interior of your tooth and eat away at your healthy tooth tissue.
Dr. Ghassemi or Dr. Mojaver begins by thoroughly numbing your tooth and the surrounding tissue and creating an opening in the tooth. Then they carefully remove the damaged pulpy tissue. Once the decayed tissue is gone, your dentist cleans the inside of your tooth and injects a bacteria-killing medication. Next, they fill your tooth with a special tooth cement and seal the little opening.
A root canal is an excellent option to help you keep your natural teeth. Often, when tooth decay reaches the pulpy interior of a tooth and is left untreated, you end up losing that tooth. With a root canal, your dentist only removes the decayed parts of your tooth and preserves the remaining healthy tooth.
Protecting teeth
In many cases, after we complete your root canal, we fit your tooth with a dental crown to protect it. To make a crown that fits your tooth perfectly, we take a digital impression that shows the shape and dimensions of your tooth. We use state-of-the-art CEREC® technology to custom-make your tooth with equipment in our office while you wait. When your crown is ready, your dentist attaches it to your tooth using a strong dental bonding agent.
Our same-day CEREC crown service allows us to complete the whole procedure during a single visit. This saves you time and money because you don’t need to come back for multiple appointments.
Minimizing pain
In addition to using the most modern dental equipment and technology, which reduces any root canal-related pain, we also offer personalized oral sedation. We know that many patients feel anxious about dental treatments. We aim to help you feel comfortable and confident while under our care, and oral sedation can keep you relaxed throughout your root canal treatment.
Additionally, we make sure to numb the tooth and the area around it completely by injecting a local anesthetic. Most of our patients are pleasantly surprised by how little pain they experience.
Signs you might need a root canal
You may need a root canal if you have one or more of the following symptoms:
- Severe tooth pain while eating or when you bite down
- Continued sensitivity to hot or cold drinks or food
- Swelling or discomfort in your gum
- Discoloration of the tooth
It’s also possible to need a root canal but not have any pain or other symptoms. Having routine dental exams and X-rays is the best way to protect your dental health and get the treatment you need when you need it.
Make an appointment now
Ignoring tooth pain or other symptoms can often make your situation worse. A root canal can prevent damage from spreading to the healthy part of your tooth. If the decay continues to spread, the problem may become so severe that your only option is to have the tooth removed.
If you have tooth pain, temperature sensitivity, or other signs of a dental health problem, contact us here at Fifth Avenue Dental Arts. You can call our office in San Diego, California, at 619-320-1846 or book your appointment online. You can also send a message to Dr. Ghassemi, Dr. Mojaver and the team here on our website. Remember, root canals are nothing to fear.
