Root Canal Therapy Pittsburgh, PA
Millions of teeth are saved each year with root canal therapy. The Dentists At Mercy, located in Pittsburgh, PA, offers offers root canal therapy with a gentle touch. Our doctors are some of Pittsburgh, PA's finest dentists! Read on to learn more about the root canal procedure and how it can benefit you.
What is a Root Canal?
Dentists use the term “root canal” in referring to the tiny, narrow passageways that branch from a central, hollow space in your tooth (called the pulp chamber) down to the ends of the tooth roots. The term can also be used as a shorthand for “root canal treatment” — that is, the procedure used to save the tooth if the soft tissue deep inside of it (called pulp) becomes acutely inflamed or infected.
How A Root Canal Can Help You
A root canal is usually thought of as something that is painful and scary, but it’s actually the complete opposite! Root canal therapy helps relieve your pain and strengthen your smile when you’re dealing with infection and irritation.
When a tooth is infected from an untreated cavity, it can lead to more serious issues that can affect both your smile and can even affect your body as a whole. Your dentist in Pittsburgh, PA can examine your tooth and help you determine if a root canal is the right choice to help your smile and strengthen your tooth again.
Root Canal Procedure
Your Pittsburgh dentist will first numb the affected area to help keep you feeling comfortable throughout the entire process. They will then create an opening in the top of your tooth to expose the damaged and irritated pulp inside of your tooth. The infected pulp is cleaned out, helping to relieve the pain in your tooth.
Your dentist will
then fill your tooth with a rubber-like material, helping protect
your tooth from any further infection or damage from happening inside
the tooth. The tooth will be sealed which will stop bacteria from
getting inside your newly restored tooth. An average root canal
procedure takes up to a couple of hours. In a follow-up appointment,
a permanent crown will be placed to protect the tooth.
Top 5 Benefits of Root Canals
1. It Will Relieve Your Pain
The most common symptom that may indicate the need for root canal treatment is a toothache. The pain may affect your ability to enjoy a good night's sleep. Root canal treatment will alleviate your tooth pain and improve your well-being.
2. It Is Virtually Pain Free
Root canals are nothing to be afraid of. People fear root canal treatments because they assume they are painful. Local anesthesia is very effective in blocking pain during a root canal procedure. Most patients report that the procedure itself is no more painful than having a dental filling placed.
3. It Prevents Tooth Loss
In the past, diseased or injured teeth had to be removed. Today, they can usually be saved through root canal treatment. Without treatment, the tooth may have to be extracted. Saving your natural tooth is the best option.
4. It Restores Tooth Function
Because a tooth that needs root canal treatment often is one that has extensive decay, a permanent crown often needs to be placed on the tooth to strengthen it and restore it to full function. A crown can improve your speech and help you chew better.
5. It Has a High Success Rate
Root canal treatment has a high success rate. According to the American Association of Endodontists, endodontic treatments have a success rate of 99.3 percent. If you take good care of it, your restored tooth could last a lifetime.