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What Exactly Happens in a Root Canal? [Video Demo]

What Exactly Happens in a Root Canal? | Dental Q&A in Sonora, CA

Tooth pain can be excruciating, especially when brought on by infection. When bacteria get past your tooth’s protective layer of enamel and sensitive layer of dentin, they reach the vulnerable inner portion. This opening, called the pulp chamber, houses dental pulp, or a collection of connective tissues, blood vessels, and nerves. When infected, dental pulp causes intense pain that may disrupt your everyday life. Fortunately, a root canal helps relieve this pain! While most patients think of root canals as painful, Dr. Berger knows that root canal treatment provides more pain relief than it does discomfort. But what exactly happens in a root canal?

Trust Dr. Berger to walk you through the root canal process from start to finish!

What Exactly Happens in a Root Canal?

At Sonora Dentist, Dr. Berger always tries to preserve your natural teeth.

But when a tooth is infected, you run the risk of needing an extraction! To save your teeth from extraction, Dr. Berger may perform root canal treatment. This process involves removing the infection but leaving the tooth, allowing you to maintain your natural smile.

What exactly happens in root canal treatment? Many patients fear the worst, as any oral surgery sets them on edge. But with root canals, we can use a gentle technique that stops tooth pain, rather than causes it!

First, Dr. Berger will use a local anesthetic to numb your smile. Then, he will use specialized dental tools to create an opening in your tooth through the enamel and dentin. Once he accesses the pulp chamber, he will very carefully remove your infected pulp from inside your tooth.

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Afterwards, he’ll fill the tooth with a material called gutta-percha and place a dental filling on top to seal the opening. Above that, Dr. Berger will place a dental crown that helps fortify your tooth’s structure and protect it from further infection.

Recovery After a Root Canal

Contrary to popular belief, recovering after root canal treatment is relatively simple. Here is what you’ll need to know:

  • Pain management: After root canal treatment, it’s common to experience some pain or discomfort. However, this is easily managed with over-the-counter pain medications. Within a day or two, most feelings of pain will have significantly subsided.
  • Dietary restrictions: Some patients fear that chewing may be off the table for a week, but that isn’t the case. Once the numbness wears off, you can enjoy soft, lukewarm foods such as mashed potatoes and pasta. For the first few days, stick to these foods and avoid chewing on the side of your mouth that underwent treatment. Then, once you’re feeling comfortable, introduce regular foods back into your diet.
  • Oral hygiene: To care for your smile after a root canal, you should continue to brush and floss as usual. Just be sure to be extra careful around the treatment site, and avoid brushing too harshly.

In general, most symptoms after root canal treatment subside within 3 to 5 days. If your pain persists beyond that timeframe, schedule an emergency appointment with Dr. Berger to make sure that your recovery is going smoothly.

Relieve Tooth Pain With a Root Canal in Sonora, CA!

If you’re experiencing tooth pain, you should seek a professional dentist like Dr. Berger. With prompt root canal treatment, he can stop pain, remove signs of infection, and preserve your natural tooth rather than extract it. The treatment itself is simple, and recovery takes only a few days.

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To learn if you need root canal treatment, visit Dr. Berger in Sonora, CA, as soon as possible!

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Dr. Paul Berger

Dr. Paul Berger is the owner and founder of Sonora Dentist located in the beautiful foothill town of Sonora, California. Dr. Berger brings 36 years of experience and a passion for delivering the best quality of dental care for his patients and their families. Dr. Berger has maintained his dental practice in Sonora since 1989. A graduate of Loma Linda School of Dentistry, this Sonora dentist is a member of the American Dental Association, California Dental Association, San Joaquin Dental Society, the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, and Academy of Computerized Dentistry. Dr. Berger has completed hundreds of hours of training at the prestigious Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies. Dr. Berger is an avid outdoorsman and pursues the healthy lifestyle he stresses to his patients. Whether hunting, fishing, hiking, flying, skiing or golfing, he sets a high standard for himself by being outdoors and active physically and mentally. A father of six children, grandfather of five grandchildren, and married to his best friend and wife, Kathy, for 39 years, Dr. Berger will give you and your family the quality and service he would give his own loved ones-quite simply, the best he can deliver. Dr. Paul Berger is a well-educated, experienced dentist whose favorite part of dentistry is patient interaction. He has come to regard his patients like family and watched some of his youngest patients grow up with great smiles. If you need a Sonora California dentist, look no further than Dr. Paul Berger and his exceptional team.