When infection damages the pulp of the tooth we will refer you to an endodontist who may have to perform root canal therapy to save your tooth. This treatment involves opening the tooth; removing the damaged pulp from the inside; and then disinfecting, shaping, filling and sealing the tooth. Depending on how much infection is present, we may recommend that you take antibiotics prior to the procedure.
After root canal therapy, the tooth will need to be restored with a filling or crown for protection. The endodontist usually recommends that we have you back to our office in a week or two to complete the final restoration on your tooth.
Endodontists are experienced in emergency pain control, and the root canal procedure itself is usually painless. While we refer root canal therapy to highly trained endodontists, we are specially trained to work with patients to manage pain, anxiety, and fear, and understand that doing so is an important part of all dental therapy. We want our patients to get back to being pain free and healthy as quickly as possible.
If you have any questions about root canal therapy, don’t hesitate to contact us today at (916) 485-3431.