Over the years, your Cupertino and West and South San Jose, CA dentist has performed a number of restorative procedures on a lower left molar. Now, you lost a significant portion of that tooth, and it’s starting to hurt. At The Dental Dimensions, Dr. Shetty, Bhatia and Yoneyama often recommend root canal therapy, or endodontics, to restore heavily damaged teeth, relieving pain and infection. Do you need a root canal?
Your tooth structure
Each and every one of your teeth has important structural elements:
- Highly calcified tooth enamel
- Softer, yellow dentin which also contains tubules capable of transmitting sensation to the interior of the tooth
- Interior pulp made up of blood vessels, supportive tissue and nerves
- A unique place in your mouth
Because of that unique place in your mouth, your tooth is indispensable. After all, tooth loss weakens teeth which adjoin a gap, compromises biting, chewing and speech and prematurely ages facial features.
So because your tooth is so important, your Cupertino and West and South San Jose dentist will endeavor to save it. Root canal therapy could do just that.
The root canal process
Endodontic therapy removes diseased and injured pulp. Taking just two one-hour appointments at The Dental Dimensions, this restorative treatment will preserve your tooth and extend its lifespan indefinitely.
The process starts with digital X-rays and a visual inspection of the tooth and its surrounding gums. These steps pinpoint exactly what’s happening with your tooth. Often, ailing teeth exhibit more than cracks, chips or pain, they also may cause:
- Sensitivity to hot or cold
- Bad breath
- Discoloration
- Red, swollen gums
- Jaw swelling
- Drainage
So it’s important for your dentist to diagnose your tooth’s condition accurately and then, if warranted, proceed with the root canal.
To do this, the dentist isolates the tooth with a rubber dam, dries it and administers numbing medication. Then, they open the tooth and cleans each of the tooth’s root canals with small files. The dentist rinses the canals, disinfects them and seals them with a rubbery putty called gutta-percha. A temporary cap protects the tooth as it heals over the subsequent week to ten days.
When you return to The Dental Dimensions, your dentist will remove the cap and bond a new porcelain crown in place. You can expect your symptom-free and beautifully realistic tooth to last for years to come. Just brush twice daily and floss once a day as the American Dental Association recommends. Also, come to the office twice a year for your routine check-ups and hygienic cleanings.
Find out more
You may be able to keep that tooth. So find out during a restorative dentistry consultation at The Dental Dimensions serving Cupertino and West and South San Jose, CA. We have two locations to serve you. For the Prospect Road office, call (408) 252-3212. For Cahalan Avenue, call (408) 225-6815.
