Root Canal Therapy Process - Bethlehem Dentist | Gentle Dental Group Bethlehem, GA

Root Canal Therapy Process

June 9, 2021
In Root Canal Therapy

Root Canal Therapy Process in Bethlehem GA

Oh no! You’ve recently discovered that one of your teeth requires root canal therapy. Rest assured, this is actually necessary. If you were to opt-out of fixing your tooth, it would decay, even more, spreading to the roots and bone and resulting in bone loss. Although you may be nervous, we can assure you that if we have recommended a root canal treatment, it is the best course of action for your dental health. However, we are here to ease your mind about the root canal therapy process at our Bethlehem dentist office.

A root canal isn’t something mysterious — or foreboding. Here is a step-by-step overview of the operation to help alleviate any concerns you may have.

Step 1: Cleaning Your Mouth and Teeth

Dr. Uyen Hoang, the best dentist in Bethlehem GA, starts off by y dispelling one of the most common myths regarding root canals: that they’re painful. To enhance your comfort during the treatment, we use a local anesthetic to completely numb the tooth and surrounding tissues. Next, to provide a sterile environment while working on the tooth, we isolate it with a thin layer of rubber. Then, we then gain access to the inside of the tooth — the pulp and root canals — by drilling a small hole through the biting surface if it’s a back tooth or the rear surface if it’s a front tooth. It sounds scarier than it’ll feel!

Step 2: Clean the Tooth, Shape it, and Fill it.

Next, our Loganville dentist office explains that once we’ve gained access, we’ll remove all dead or dying tissue from the pulp and root canals. We will do this before thoroughly cleaning the empty chamber and canals using antiseptic and antibacterial chemicals. After cleaning everything out, we’ll form the tiny root canal walls to better fit a filler material called gutta-percha, which we’ll then use to fill the canals and pulp chamber.

Step 3: Preventing Infection & Sealing The Tooth

Once the filling is completed, we will seal the access hole and temporarily shut the tooth with another filling. Later, we will place a permanent crown on the tooth to protect it from further illness and to restore its aesthetics.

After a root canal, you may suffer some slight soreness for a few days, which is normally treatable with aspirin or ibuprofen. In a week or so, you won’t notice anything, and the tooth-threatening rot and whatever discomfort it created will be a distant memory.