Root Canal in Dayton, OH

Your teeth are supposed to last you a lifetime. Back in the day, injured or diseased teeth were typically extracted (pulled). But these days, our dentist in Dayton and Beavercreek OH can often save your tooth through the use of a root canal procedure.

What Is a Root Canal?

Root canal therapy helps to rid the infected root canal of bacteria, preventing infection of the tooth and saving the natural tooth. When you have your root canal, our dentist here at Gamber Family Dental, Dr. Alex Gamber, eliminates the infected pulp or inflamed pulp and gently cleans the inside of your tooth, disinfecting it afterwards. He then fills and seals it.

How Do You Know If You Require a Root Canal?

There are several symptoms that indicate you may require a root canal, including:

• A cracked or chipped tooth
• Severe pain while you bite down or chew
• Tender or swollen gums
• Gum pimples
• Darkening or deep decay of your gums
• Hole in your tooth
• Toothache
• Swollen neck and face
• Cold or hot sensitivity that lingers, despite the sensation removal

Reasons for a Root Canal

Teeth have a soft core referred to as dental pulp. This pulp spreads from the visible part of your tooth (the crown) to the root tip of your tooth in your jawbone. The pulp will contain:

• Connective tissue
• Blood vessels
• Nerves

When your tooth has a deep cavity or is cracked, bacteria could enter the pulp. If you leave it untreated, material and bacteria that’s decaying could lead to a tooth abscess or infection, which can lead to bone loss, death of the pulp and loss of the tooth.

What Does Root Canal Therapy Entail?

Typically, you can receive endodontic treatment in one or two dental visits. The procedure involves various steps, which include:

1. Dr. Gamber examines your tooth and takes a radiograph of it using X-rays. He’ll then administer a local anesthetic. Once he numbers your tooth, he’ll place a dental dam (a type of protective sheet) over the area, isolating your tooth and keeping it saliva-free and clean during the procedure.
2. Dr. Gamber will make an opening in your tooth’s crown. He’ll use very small tools for cleaning your root canals and the pulp from your pulp chamber and to shape the space for filling.
3. Once he is through cleaning and shaping the space, he’ll use a biocompatible material to fill the root canal, typically gutta-percha (a rubber-like material). He’ll place the gutta-percha with an adhesive cement, ensuring the root canal is completely sealed. Usually, he’ll close the opening with a temporary filling. Before your tooth is restored, he’ll remove this temporary filling.
4. Dr. Gamber will then place a crown or other tooth restoration after your final endodontic visit to protect it and restore it to complete function.

If your tooth can’t hold the restoration in place due to a lack of sufficient structure, Dr. Gamber might place a post within your tooth.

Is a Root Canal Painful?

Because you’re provided with anesthesia, your root canal won’t be any more painful than a normal dental procedure like the removal of a wisdom tooth or a filling. But, a root canal is typically a bit numb or sore after the treatment and could even cause you some mild pain or discomfort for a couple days.

What is a Root Canal Recovery Like?

After your root canal, you’ll experience numbness in your mouth for a couple of hours. Most individuals can go back to:

• School
• Work
• Other activities

You’ll want to wait to eat until the numbness is completely gone.

For the first several days after your root canal procedure, your tooth might feel sensitive because of tissue inflammation, particularly if there was infection or pain prior to the procedure. Over-the-counter pain medicines like naproxen (Aleve) or ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) can usually ease the discomfort.

Until your root canal therapy is totally finished, with your permanent crown or filling in place, you’ll want to try to avoid using the tooth to chew. This will help keep the area clean and might keep the fragile tooth from breaking before it has time to become completely restored.

Practice good oral hygiene (brushing, flossing, antiseptic mouthwash) like you normally wood and be sure to set up your dental appointments at your normal scheduled intervals.

How Much Do Root Canals Cost?

The cost of your root canal will depend on the complexity of the problem and which tooth is impacted. For instance, molars can be tricker to treat, therefore, the cost is typically more. Most types of dental insurance provide some endodontic treatment coverage.

Generally, endodontic restoration and treatment of a natural tooth is less costly than the alternative of needing the tooth extracted. Dr. Gamber would need to replace an extracted tooth with a bridge or an implant to restore your function of chewing and to keep your neighboring teeth from shifting. These treatments tend to be a bit more costly than endodontic treatment and restoration.

Schedule Your Root Canal Treatment at Gamber Family Dental

The Gamber Family Dental staff provides root canal treatment to patients living throughout the Greater Dayton area. We’re looking forward to helping you restore your natural teeth so request your dental appointment in Beavercreek and Dayton today.