Most people will experience a cavity in their lifetime. When they think about how the cavity was filled by their dentist, they typically don’t remember the experience as a painful one. They just remember the dentist applying a local anesthetic to numb the tooth before filling it.
While nobody is happy about getting a cavity, pain is rarely a concern. Root canal therapy is no different. So, what is root canal therapy and how can it save your tooth?
Root Canal Therapy is Not Painful
Let’s dispel this myth immediately. First, three types of cavities can form on your teeth. They can form on the top of your teeth, on the sides of your teeth, or at the roots of your teeth. When they form on the roots of your teeth, the cavity eats away at the root’s pulp.
Root canal therapy simply fills in the cavity to stop it from spreading through the roots and into your gums. Like any other cavity, the area is numbed so you don’t feel any pain.
Root Canal Therapy is Essential
Just like you didn’t think twice about having a cavity filled, you shouldn’t be concerned or think twice about root canal therapy. You immediately had your cavity filled because you didn’t want to lose your tooth.
The same mindset should apply to root canal therapy. Allowing the cavity to reach your gums can cause severe gum disease. Doing nothing risks having the infection develop into an abscess which can cause even more damage. Ultimately, it’s not just about saving your tooth but avoiding a more serious outcome.
Root Canal Therapy Demystified
People who put off root canal therapy because they don’t feel any pain risk having the cavity spread. With root canal therapy, we apply a numbing agent to the area around your tooth. We then open the hole in your tooth’s root to expose the cavity.
Next, we fill that hole with a composite resin (amalgam). That’s it. It’s the same process we apply for other cavities except that root canals take about 60 to 90 minutes and in some cases, require two visits.
Book Your Root Canal Therapy with Nevada Dental Esthetics Today
At Nevada Dental Esthetics in Las Vegas, NV, Dr. Jorge Paez and his courteous and professional team will answer all your questions and explain every step of the root canal therapy process to put your mind at ease.
Please contact us online or call our office on The Strip at 702-737-3553 to book an appointment!