Preserve Your Health with Root Canal Treatment

Root canal therapy can eliminate the pain and discomfort that comes with an infected tooth. This procedure is often the only way to salvage an infected tooth and prevent the need for extraction. Without root canal therapy, the infection could lead to tooth loss and could spread to other areas of the body, causing more serious complications. Dr. Art Carpenter performs root canal treatments at our office in Kenilworth, IL, with the latest dental technologies to ensure your comfort. Dr. Carpenter can eliminate any infection and restore function and comfort to your tooth and smile. 

Root canal therapy protects your tooth from additional damage caused by decay. This procedure also prevents total loss of the tooth because of infection.

What is a Root Canal?

The root canals house your dental pulp, or the nerves, tissues, and blood vessels inside your tooth. If a deep cavity reaches the inside of your tooth, or if an injury damages the root, bacteria can reach the vulnerable soft tissue, leading to infection and sever discomfort. Root canal therapy can remove the inflamed and infected tissues, eliminating any pain while saving the tooth from extraction.

When to Undergo Treatment

In some cases, if you have an infection, you may suffer from symptoms such as:

• Pain in the tooth and jaw
• Discolored and swollen gums
• Sores and abscesses in the gums
• Pain when placing any pressure on the tooth
• Sensitivity to hot and cold temperatures

Unfortunately, you may not always realize that damage has reached the inside of your tooth until you experience significant damage and severe discomfort. Because of this, it is critical to attend your regularly scheduled dental exams. If you suffered any oral trauma recently, you should also get an exam. 

Root Canal Treatment

Dr. Carpenter makes every effort to make your root canal treatment as painless as possible. After he has taken x-rays to view the extent of the infection, he will inject a local anesthetic to numb the tooth and gums. For some patients, he may also provide an oral sedative to help them relax.

Once you are comfortable, he carefully alter the tooth to access the damaged tissue inside. Dr. Carpenter will use very conservative methods to preserve as much of your tooth as possible. He will also use very gentle techniques to remove the infected tissues from the pulp chamber. After using an instrument to slightly widen the root canal, he will disinfect the entire tooth.

He will then use a rubber-like substance to fill the now-empty root canals. This material is known as gutta-percha, and can help strengthen your tooth. To finish your procedure, Dr. Carpenter will take impressions to provide a customized dental crown. It takes about two weeks to get custom dental crowns made, so we can provide a temporary crown to protect your tooth while you wait.