River Walk Dental Orthodontics

1431 Palo Alto Rd, Suite 104, San Antonio, TX 78211

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Dental hygiene tips for healthy teeth & gums

How Root Canal Works for Your Teeth

A root canal procedure is nothing to worry about. It is recommended to treat a diseased, decayed and damaged tooth. A large number of teeth have been found effectively treated using this procedure. San Antonio Dentist TX have helped relieved patients and make teeth healthy again with the help of root canal treatment. Root canal is an endodontic procedure that not only relieves pain but also protects surrounding teeth from excessive wear or strain. It is a hollow section of tooth that contains nerve tissue, blood vessels and other cells known as the pulp.

The Steps of the Treatment Include:
The treatment takes 1-3 sessions to get accomplished.

  • First step is cleaning the root canal wherein your dentist removes everything that is inside the root canal. When the patient is under local anesthesia, our Dentists will make a small access hole on the surface of the tooth and remove the diseased tissue with small files.
  • The second step involves your dentist cleaning and decontaminating the hollow area using solution. The tooth is then filled with a rubber-like material using an adhesive cement that seals the canal completely. Once the therapy is done, tooth becomes dead. Patient will no longer feel pain because the nerve tissue has been removed and infection is now removed.
  • The last step is addition of crown or filling.  Until the filling is complete, patients must avoid chewing or biting on the tooth. Once the filling is done, patients can use the tooth as before.

Treatment takes only a day’s time. However, in cases like curved canals, multi canals or large infections, it could take one or two extra appointments.

How Painful Is Root Canal
If done under the supervision of an experienced dental surgeon, root canal ain’t as painful as acclaimed. Slight pain is experienced which comes from the infection, not the treatment. Our dentist relieves the pain by numbing the tooth and surrounding area with local anesthesia.

After the treatment, some tenderness is normal. It is temporary, and over-the-counter (OTC) pain medication may be enough to relieve it. The dentist may prescribe an antibiotic to treat or prevent infection.

Root canal is one of the sought-after treatment methods recommended by our Dentists. It can help successfully save a tooth that has been infected or damaged. People experiencing severe pain should definitely report to the endodontist for further evaluation.

Book an Appointment to find out which treatment might be best for you.