Find out why you might need root canal therapy.

Has one of our South Pasadena, CA, dentists Dr. John Chu or Dr. Mary Lin just told you that you need root canal treatment? If so, you may be scratching your head wondering what happened. Root canal treatment is actually a very common endodontic procedure, with around 15 million people undergoing this treatment each year. Find out why root canals are performed and why they might be necessary for the health of your teeth.

What is the purpose of a root canal?

The goal of this endodontic procedure is to treat problems that are occurring within the tooth. Below the hard enamel layers of a tooth lies a structure that is known as the dental pulp. The pulp is a tissue that contains the nerves of the tooth. While the pulp is important for the tooth while it is developing, once the tooth has fully matured, the root canal is no longer necessary for the tooth to survive.

Why do I need root canal therapy?

There are many situations in which the dental pulp can become inflamed or infected including decay, injury, an infection or a crack/chip in the tooth. If the problem is left untreated, not only will you most likely notice severe dental pain but also an abscess may form (a pus-filled growth) around the infected tooth. To prevent the tooth from needing to be extracted in the near future, our South Pasadena, CA, general dentist will recommend root canal treatment.

What are the steps involved in this endodontic procedure?

We will first need to run X-rays to determine whether the pulp is infected/inflamed. If this is the case, we will numb the tooth using a local anesthesia. This will ensure that you don’t feel any discomfort during your procedure.

Once the treatment area is completely numb, we will make a hole in the crown of the tooth so that we can enter the inside of the tooth. Once inside the tooth, we will remove the pulp and disinfect the tooth and root canals. Once the tooth has been cleaned out, we will fill the root canals with a special material to make sure that another infection doesn’t occur.

Once the tooth has been filled the last step will be to make a dental crown for the tooth and to cement the crown over the tooth to restore it.

Are you noticing a toothache that just won’t go away? If so, this could be a warning sign. Any changes to your oral health should be assessed by our South Pasadena, CA, general dentists right away. Call our office today.