A Root Canal Candidate
Believe it or not, your root canal is actually the space within your tooth, connecting your tooth to your gums through its roots. Over time, people began referring to the term “root canal” as the procedure instead of the space in your tooth’s roots.
Within your root canal, your tooth has a pulp chamber, main canals, and intricate branches. When you experience severe pain in your mouth, it often means that there is decay in the pulp chamber. This is because the pulp of your teeth contains nerve endings that alert your brain when you experience pain. As the bacteria and decay grow, they reach the farthest levels of your teeth, engulfing your roots in addition to the pulp chamber. At our Wilmington, DE dental practice, we can help diagnose and treat issues related to root canals to restore your oral health.
With minor decay, we can patch up your smile with dental fillings. When decay reaches the roots of your teeth, though, you will need a root canal procedure to clean out the bacteria and decay. A root canal candidate, therefore, is someone who is experiencing severe decay in one of their teeth. With further decay that compromises the integrity of your tooth, we may have to look at an extraction instead.
What is a Root Canal Procedure?
If you need a root canal procedure, then you have severe decay within your tooth yet your tooth’s roots remain strong. With maintained structural integrity of your tooth, your family dentist can clean out your root canal and fit you with a new crown or dental filling.
Generally, we administer local anesthesia for root canal procedures. However, if you have dental anxiety, we can make arrangements for sedation dentistry as well. Once you’re comfortable, we will begin your root canal procedure by removing a layer of enamel to access your tooth’s pulp.
After accessing the pulp, your dentist will remove the infected areas. We will then thoroughly clean and sterilize the inside of your tooth before adding a composite mixture to your tooth and sealing the area. Once we clean and treat your tooth, your dentist will either fit you with a crown or apply composite filling to your tooth. Just as we would with a dental filling, we will make sure your repair feels comfortable and your bite is back to normal before you go home.
Root Canal Recovery
In the past, root canal procedures required a lot of recovery time. However, with modern technology and the best dental practices, you won’t need any time off from work or school. When you get a root canal procedure with Dr. Goodling, you’ll be ready to get back to normal life by the time you leave our office. We’ll even administer OraVerse to reverse the effects of the numbing anesthetics.
In the following days, you may experience a small amount of soreness.
Your Dentist for Root Canals in Wilmington, Delaware
If you’re experiencing dental pain, don’t delay. See your dentist as soon as possible so you can get the most time and cost-effective treatment available.
Here at the office, we provide painless and easy root canal procedures. We want to get your smile back on track so you can eat your favorite foods yet again. To schedule a consultation with our dental team, give us a call at (302) 994-0979.
