Here at Southern Dental Associates at Willowbrook, saving smiles is our top priority. Our team performs root canal treatments to treat tooth infections, injuries, and other conditions. If you are experiencing a toothache, call our friendly dental team. We will do everything we can to provide relief and help you smile again.

What is a Root Canal?

When your tooth is damaged due to decay or injury, food debris and bacteria can reach the interior of the tooth. This can cause painful and potentially dangerous tooth infection. If you are suffering from an infection, our dentist recommends root canal treatment to restore the health of your tooth and alleviate your pain. Root canal treatment is a tooth-saving procedure that we offer to prevent painful and expensive tooth extractions.

Inside each of your teeth is soft tissue called dental pulp. The dental pulp consists of blood vessels, nerves, and connective tissues. It is contained inside a hollow cavity, the pulp chamber. The pulp chamber extends from the visible part of your tooth (called the crown) to the tip of the tooth roots, where the root canals are located.

How Do I Know I Need a Root Canal?

Our dentist recommends root canal treatment when the dental pulp becomes inflamed or infected. Infection or damage can occur due to injury, severe decay, or weakened tooth structure caused by previous dental work. Left untreated, the inflammation or infection can cause a painful abscess.

Signs that you have a tooth abscess include toothache, sensitivity to cold or heat, pain when biting or chewing, discoloration of the tooth, swelling in the jaw or drainage. If you experience any symptoms of a tooth abscess, call our office right away. Our dental team will try to see you as soon as possible to diagnose and treat your infection.

What are the Benefits of Root Canal Treatment?

Many patients believe extraction is the most effective way to alleviate the pain of a dental infection. However, our dentist recommends performing root canal treatment to save the tooth. Saving the natural tooth will spare patients painful and expensive tooth extraction. Preserving the tooth helps maintain the natural bite and protects the surrounding teeth from the excessive strain caused by tooth loss.

Following an exam to assess the condition of your tooth, our dentist will perform a root canal. The procedure is used to clear out the infected pulp and thoroughly clean the tooth. We will administer local anesthetic to make your experience as relaxing and comfortable as possible. Once our dentist has cleared the infection, we will then fill and seal the tooth to prevent future infection. In most cases, our dentist will cap the tooth with a high-quality dental crown. If you need a crown, we can place it in one to two appointments to fully restore the look and function of your tooth.