How Root Canal Treatment Can Save Your Smile

A cracked, infected, or extensively decayed tooth is bound to fail. To avoid extraction, your dentist in Matthews, NC, Dr. David Feeney, may recommend restoration through root canal therapy. Read on to learn how this effective treatment can end up saving your smile!

What is root canal therapy?

Root canal therapy—also called endodontic therapy—is a procedure that removes the damged interior pulp of a diseased or decayed tooth. This compromised pulp contains a blood supply, connective tissue, and nerves, but fortunately, a mature tooth survives well without it.

Here at our Matthews, NC, office, your dentist cleans, disinfects, and seals each root canal with an elastic substance called gutta-percha. Afterward, he covers the restored tooth with a temporary cap to protect it as it heals. Following a recovery period of about 10 days, the patient receives a beautiful porcelain crown to preserve and support the tooth for life.

What tells your dentist you need a root canal?

His careful examination of your tooth, X-rays and a review of your symptoms tell your dentist you need root canal treatment. Your symptoms may include:

• Toothache pain (often severe and throbbing)
• Dental sensitivity to sugary foods or hot or cold drinks
• Reddened, swollen gums
• Sores on the gums
• Extensive decay
• Deep crack or chip
• Bad breath and drainage, indicative of a dental abscess

What happens after your root canal

After you receive your permanent crown, floss around the tooth, and brush twice-a-day to keep crown margins free of plaque and tartar. Additionally, make sure to avoid hard foods, such as peanut brittle, so you don't dislodge or damage your newly restored tooth.

Animated-Teeth.com states that root canal therapy usually lasts indefinitely. Therefore, it's a great way for you to keep your tooth strong and your smile free of unattractive and dysfunctional gaps.

Contact us

If you have worrisome dental symptoms, don't delay. Call Dr. Feeney's office in Matthews, NC, for an appointment and see if you need a root canal. Phone us today at (704) 847-1000.