Root Canal
Therapy
Root canal therapy is the process of saving a severely damaged and painful tooth due to severe decay or infection. The aim is to save your teeth instead of requiring artificial replacement teeth.
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You will usually require X-Rays to get a clear view of your mouth and the surrounding bones to understand if you are a candidate for root canal therapy before your treatment plan is devised by Drs. LaVecchia, Dr. McIntire, or Dr. Bobbio.
A root canal procedure is required when the "pulp" of your tooth is inflamed or infected. The pulp is the soft tissue inside your tooth that contains nerves, blood vessels and provides nourishment to your tooth. The treatment removes the infected pulp and the inside of the tooth is meticulously cleaned and disinfected. We then fill it and seal it so that it doesn't get infected again or infect other teeth.
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The pulp in your teeth may be infected if you have a cracked or fractured tooth, a deep cavity or if you've had an injury to your tooth.
Root canal treatment usually takes one or two visits to the dentist to complete and you can rest assured that there is little to no pain during root canal treatment as you will receive local anesthesia to limit any sensations in your mouth during the procedure.
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Millions of teeth are saved each year through root canal therapy and the good news is that with proper oral hygiene and care, a root canal can last a lifetime!