Despite your best efforts to keep your mouth healthy, sometimes issues happen. Certain types of oral health issues can result in tooth infections. Once an infection develops, it does not go away on its own.
Treatment is essential for eliminating the infection, restoring oral health, and preserving the tooth. At Advanced Dental Associates, we can do this with a root canal in our San Antonio, TX Office. We provide root canal therapy and general dental care treatments to the public in San Antonio.
How Do I Know If I Need a Root Canal?
A root canal is a treatment for a tooth infection. However, how do you know if you have an infection? A painful toothache is one of the most obvious signs you have an infection. An infection happens because bacteria has gotten inside your tooth. This may occur because you have a crack or decay.
The bacteria irritate the pulp or soft tissue inside the tooth, leading to inflammation. There are nerves in the pulp that cause you to feel pain. You may also notice swelling near the tooth or a bad taste in your mouth.
Some may notice that the pain eventually disappears after enough time. This does not mean that your infection is gone. If there is an infection, the sudden lack of pain could indicate that the nerve inside the tooth has died. It is still essential to be seen as soon as possible.
Root Canals in San Antonio, TX
There’s a common misconception that root canals are painful. While this may have been true long ago, root canal treatment today is painless. A local anesthetic is administered near the tooth, numbing it and the surrounding area. All you will feel during the procedure is pressure.
Once the local anesthetic takes effect, a small hole is drilled into the tooth. The drills we use today are much quieter than the ones that have been used in the past. Rubber material is placed inside after removing the infected pulp and cleaning out the tooth’s interior.
This material effectively seals the canals to prevent new bacteria from getting inside. Finally, a temporary filling is placed to fill the access hole. After your root canal, a more permanent restoration must be placed as soon as possible.
This may be a permanent filling or a dental crown. We can help you to choose the best restoration for you.
How Long Will My Root Canal Last?
Root canals have a very high success rate. In most cases, a treated tooth can remain fully functional for the rest of your life. However, there are some cases in which the tooth develops a new infection, resulting in the need for a root canal re-treatment.
Further infection can happen because the tooth was not properly cleaned, the tooth was contaminated during treatment, or the restoration was not placed soon enough.
You may also develop a new infection because the restoration is damaged or your tooth suffers trauma. Root canal re-treatment involves removing your old restoration and the filling material so that we can clean out the tooth again. Once clean, it is filled again, and a new restoration is placed.
In some cases, an apicoectomy is needed. In rare cases, a tooth needs to be extracted. Following successful root canal treatment, your tooth can remain fully functional for the rest of your life.
Preserve Your Smile
Don’t ignore a toothache. Receive comfortable root canal treatment today. Call Advanced Dental Associates at 210-361-6847 to schedule your appointment today.