Root Canal Treatment

Specialized Treatment for a Decayed Tooth

Root canal therapy is a type of dental treatment that aims to repair and save a tooth that has decayed badly or infected. Your dentist may recommend root canal therapy if the pulp in your tooth is damaged. We'll remove the pulp, clean the inside of your tooth, and seal it up.

If your regular dentist has observed that you need a root canal, choose Delgado & Stanek PA for your endodontic treatment. In our office, you'll receive exceptional treatment from an experienced doctor using state-of-the-art technology. To schedule an appointment, please call us at (410) 730-0755 in Columbia.

Understanding Dental Pulp

Within the center of any of your teeth is a soft area that contains the nerve, blood vessels, and connective tissue. We call that area the pulp chamber. Your tooth's nerve is the "root" of your tooth, and its canal travels from the tip of your tooth's root into the pulp chamber.

Once your tooth has emerged through your gums during childhood, the nerve is not essential to the tooth's health or function. It provides sensory information about heat and cold, but its absence does not change your tooth's day-to-day function.

If the pulp of your tooth becomes damaged due to deep decay, repeated dental procedures, large fillings, or a crack or chip in the tooth, it can become infected. Bacteria can multiply within the pulp chamber and cause an abscess. An abscess is a pus-filled pocket that is painful and can lead to serious problems:

• Swelling that can spread to your face, head, or neck
• Bone loss around the tip of the root
• Drainage problems extending outward from the root, including a hole developing in the bone next to the tooth and drainage into your gums or through your cheeks and into your skin
  

Signs That You May Need Root Canal Therapy

• Severe toothache pain when you chew or apply pressure
• Prolonged sensitivity (pain) to hot or cold
• Darkening of your tooth
• Swelling and tenderness in nearby gums
• A persistent or recurring pimple on the gum area

Some problems with the root present no symptoms at all, although your regular dentist may detect a problem during your examination. If you are experiencing any of these problems, contact your dentist immediately.

The Root Canal Procedure

If your dentist determines that root canal therapy is probably necessary, you'll be referred to an endodontist, a type of dentist who specializes in the causes, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases and injuries in your teeth's dental pulp.

We'll begin by taking a detailed X-ray to see the shape of your root canals and determine if there are signs of infection in the surrounding bone.

If we determine that you need a root canal procedure, we'll explain the details in our office. Broadly, we'll surgically remove the damaged tissue, clean and disinfect the area, shape the root canal properly, and put a seal in place to protect the space.

Root canal therapy is the treatment of choice to maintain your natural teeth. The alternative is to have your injured or infected tooth removed and replace it with an artificial implant, bridge, or denture. Those types of treatment are typically more expensive, require more treatment time, and require more procedures to your adjacent teeth and supporting tissues.