How a Root Canal Provides Pain Relief [Video FAQs]

A toothache isn’t always just a chance occurrence. Sometimes, there is an underlying issue with your tooth that requires prompt care. If you’re experiencing severe or persistent tooth pain, you may have a root canal infection! This problem won’t go away on its own and will only continue hurting if you don’t treat it. When experiencing tooth pain, we recommend you visit an emergency dentist. At Sonora Dental, we offer emergency care to patients in need, providing effective root canal pain relief when necessary.

What Is a Root Canal?

A root canal is the hollow inside of the root of your tooth. Contrary to popular belief, everyone has a root canal, which houses dental pulp.

Pulp is made of a collection of connective tissues, blood vessels, and nerves. When bacteria breach the hard outer layer of enamel and pass through the soft dentin underneath, they reach your root canals. If the pulp inside the canals becomes infected, it causes intense, long-lasting pain.

The only way to relieve root canal pain is through a root canal procedure!

How Does a Root Canal Lead to Pain Relief?

When bacteria infect your dental pulp, you may experience persistent pain and swelling. But if we’re able to, we would rather save your natural tooth than extract it.

To do so, we need to perform a root canal procedure.

1. We start with a local anesthetic to numb your smile. And, if necessary, we provide safe and effective sedation options for those with dental anxiety.
2. Once we’re sure you’re comfortable, we will place a rubber sheet in your mouth to isolate the tooth with the infection. This dam helps keep the tooth clean and dry, allowing us to work.
3. Then, we make a small opening through the top of your tooth. With access to the inside of your tooth, we use special tools to reach into your root canals and remove the infected pulp.
4. Even with the pulp gone, your tooth can survive. After flushing out any signs of debris or infection, we will fill the tooth with a material called gutta-percha. This material helps seal the tooth off from further infection.
5. Finally, we place a dental crown on top of your tooth, protecting it from bacteria and ensuring it remains functional in your smile.

While root canal treatment has a bad reputation, our patients can confidently say that it provides more pain relief than it causes actual pain.

How Long Do Root Canals Last?

A tooth that was saved by a root canal can last for many years to come. In some cases, patients go the rest of their lives chewing on their tooth without issue.

However, proper hygiene is a very important factor in the life span of a root canal.

Just as you do with your natural teeth, you must brush twice a day and floss regularly. At our office, we recommend using an electric toothbrush and a water flosser, which helps reach difficult areas.

Additionally, you have to visit your dentist at least every 6 months. These routine check-ups are important, and they help us see if there is a problem with your tooth before it becomes a problem!

At Sonora Dentist, we will assess your smile and ensure the tooth beneath your crown remains healthy. But you have to practice dental care at home, or your tooth will become reinfected, and even extracted if necessary.

Experience Root Canal Pain Relief in Sonora, CA!

If you’re in tooth pain, the only relief you may be able to find is with a root canal. Even though they have a bad reputation for being painful, root canals are just like any other dental procedure. We use a local anesthetic to numb your smile and keep you comfortable. Then, while in the healing phase, you’ll only feel mild discomfort.

Book an emergency appointment if you’re in pain, and we will provide effective pain relief using root canal treatment.

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