5150 Graves Ave, Ste 11E, San Jose, CA 95129
Root Canal Treatment
Tooth pain wakes you up in the middle of the night? Your tooth may need a root canal treatment. Tooth decay and subsequent infection of the nerves inside the tooth may cause pain, redness or swelling of your cheek.
Root canal treatment (or RCT) is a great procedure that lets you keep your own tooth even after an infection in the tooth and has a high success rate of more than 95%. It is a process of eliminating bacteria from the infected root canal, preventing reinfection of the tooth and saving the natural tooth. During the procedure, the inflamed or infected pulp is removed and the inside of the tooth is carefully cleaned and disinfected, then filled and sealed. Later to protect the tooth a crown may be needed which is a tooth like covering placed on the tooth for better strength and function.
How do you know if you need a root canal?
Root canals are needed for a cracked tooth from injury, a deep cavity, or issues from a previous filling or crown. Patients generally need a root canal when they notice their teeth are sensitive, particularly to hot and cold sensations or have pain on chewing with no history of a recent dental procedure.
Some symptoms that may mean you need a root canal are:
- Severe pain while chewing or biting
- Pus discharge from a pimple on the gums
- Lingering sensitivity to hot or cold, even after the sensation has been removed
- A tooth that is chipped or cracked
- Swollen or tender gums
- Deep decay in tooth or darkening of the gums
What Should One Expect After Root Canal Therapy?
After the Root canal therapy you should feel relief in the pain you felt on hot and cold. Until your root canal procedure is completely finished; that is, the permanent filling is in place and a crown, if needed, is placed, avoid chewing on the side of the treatment. This step will help prevent a fragile tooth from breaking before the tooth can be fully restored with a crown.
Root canal treatment is highly successful and the procedure has more than a 95% success rate. Natural teeth help maintain the shape of the jaw bone and prevent loss of bone which may occur if the tooth is removed. Many teeth treated with root canal treatment can last a lifetime.
