When a tooth develops an infection, this could mean serious discomfort or even a lost tooth without treatment. With our endodontic root canal treatment, our team could remove compromised tissues and save the tooth. In today’s blog, your Newhall, CA, dentist talks about using root canal therapy to restore health and comfort.
The Pain of an Infection
An infection means that harmful oral bacteria have made contact with your tooth’s nerve center, a collection of living tissues at the center of your tooth that controls the flow of blood and nutrients to and from the root canals. This contact is made possible with untreated tooth decay, or due to an injured tooth. Symptoms include pain when you bite down and chew, toothaches, sensitivity when you eat or drink, and swelling. A discharge from the tooth, and pain in the head and jaw could develop too. Don’t ignore these warning signs! Otherwise, this could grow so serious you lose the tooth and the infection reaches other parts of your smile.
The Root Canal Process
How do we restore health and comfort? To begin, we will take detailed digital x-rays and images of the tooth to plan your treatment. We then administer a local anesthetic to keep you comfortable. The tooth will be opened so we can remove the tissues from within. The interior is then thoroughly cleaned before we apply a special restorative filling known as gutta percha. Once in place, we cure the material and then cap the tooth with a dental crown. The restoration will be custom made to ensure it not only protects the tooth, but offers a lifelike appearance as well.
Safeguarding Your Smile
Once we restore your tooth, you may want to take steps to avoid the onset of an infection. To stop tooth decay and infected teeth, you need to make sure you brush your teeth twice daily for two minutes, and do so using a fluoride toothpaste. You also need to floss each evening, as this reaches and removes food particles your toothbrush alone cannot. We also recommend cutting back on sugary and starchy foods and drinks, and also seeing us for a checkup and cleaning every six months, so we can keep an eye out for the earliest signs of trouble, and so we can remove buildup that weakens tooth enamel. If you have any questions about treating or avoiding the onset of an infected tooth, then contact our team today to learn more.
Ready to Address Your Infected Tooth?
We want to help you avoid the pain and tooth loss of an untreated dental infection. You can schedule an appointment for restorative treatment by calling your Newhall, CA, dentist, Dr. Tajik, at (661) 259-7760.