Root Canal Treatment                                                

Have you noticed severe pain in your tooth? Or a pimple on your gum? Maybe you have lingering sensitivity to hot or cold?                          

These may be signs of a tooth infection. Without root canal therapy, you could lose the tooth and the infection may spread.

Family Dental Care in Flowood, MS, uses advanced techniques to relieve the pain caused by a root canal infection and restore your smile.  

Do I Need a Root Canal?                      

Root canal therapy is needed when the soft tissue inside a tooth, also known as the pulp, becomes inflamed or infected. While pain is a common symptom, it is not always present when you need a root canal. Other signs that you need this restorative procedure include:

• Severe toothache 
• Lingering sensitivity to hot or cold temperatures
• Pain when chewing
• Pimple on your gums
• Chipped or cracked tooth
• Deep cavity 
• Darkening or swelling of the gums‍

Gentle Root Canal Treatment: Prevent Tooth Loss & Restore Your Smile                        

It's a common misconception that root canal treatment is painful. Instead, root canals actually relieve pain caused by infection. By using advanced technology, the dentists at Family Dental Care in Flowood, MS, are able to make your treatment as comfortable as possible. If trauma or decay is causing you pain, the dentists at our Flowood, MS, practice can remove the damaged tissue to avoid extraction while preserving your smile and restoring your ability to chew food.  

Take Advantage of Comfortable Treatment        

Our dentists are careful to take extra steps to make root canal therapy as comfortable as possible. They use advanced technology to carefully plan the procedure. For anxious patients, we offer sedation dentistry. Our techniques and technology make root canals no more uncomfortable than a filling. 

Avoid an Extraction        

When an infection is removed early enough, a tooth can be saved. However, if the infection is not treated promptly, you may need an extraction. At that point, the dentist typically advises placement of a dental bridge or implant, both of which cost more than a root canal. 

Preserve Your Health        

A root canal infection can affect surrounding teeth and gum tissue and may lead to deterioration of the jawbone. In some cases, it can be life-threatening. If you need a root canal, it's important to have the infection removed.

How an Infection Damages a Tooth's Pulp                            

"I normally do not like the dentist at all but coming here it felt like being with family. I loved how down to earth they were and so eager to tell me what everything meant. They really made me feel like I had been coming to them forever and it made my experience very amazing."

-Chauniq                                         

We practice minimally invasive techniques to preserve as much healthy dental tissue as possible and preserve your natural smile.

Root Canals Can Save Teeth                      

The philosophy of the dentists at Family Dental Care in Flowood, MS, is to preserve as much of your healthy dental tissue as possible. When an infection is discovered in the pulp, a root canal is typically the most conservative approach to relieving your pain and avoiding an extraction.

In contrast, extracting and then replacing the tooth with a bridge or a dental implant requires multiple treatments that typically cost more than a simple root canal. These additional procedures could possibly impact neighboring teeth, as well.  

Can Your Tooth Can Be Saved?                            

Advances in technology and root canal dentistry are making it possible to save teeth that just a few years ago would have been lost. Unfortunately, particularly if the infection is not dealt with promptly, not all teeth can be saved. Some of the factors your dentist will consider:                                      

Healthy Outer Structure        

For a root canal to be successful, there must be enough remaining tooth after the procedure to support a crown. However, if there is a large cavity or structural damage, such as a crack that extends below the gums, then an extraction may be your only choice. You would then be advised to get a dental implant or bridge to restore your bite.

Wisdom Teeth        

If the infection is in a wisdom tooth, the dentist will likely recommend extracting it. Fortunately, most people will not need to replace an extracted wisdom tooth with a bridge or implant. In fact, due to their hard-to-brush location and problems they cause with surrounding teeth, dentists often recommend removing them even then they are healthy.

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 What Can I Expect During a Root Canal?                      

Our dentists use advanced technology to make the procedure as comfortable and effective as possible, from start to finish.                                            

Analysis                    

Using diagnostic radiographs, your dentist will locate the root canals so they can carefully plan the procedure.

Preparation                    

Our dentists will proceed with your comfort in mind. Patients undergoing root canal therapy can utilize IV sedation, oral sedation, or nitrous oxide options during their procedure.

Gaining Access                    

An access point is created to reach the infected pulp inside. Using microscopes and lasers for the utmost precision, the infected pulp is removed.        

Cleaning the Interior                    

The inside is disinfected and prepared to receive the substance that will be replacing the infected pulp tissue.

Filling the Canals                    

The root canals are then filled with a rubber-like substance called gutta-percha and sealed.        

Restoration                    

A crown is typically placed on root-canaled teeth. If more than one visit is needed, a temporary crown will be placed used until a permanent one can be crafted.                             

Root Canal Treatment Recovery                            

You should avoid eating until after numbness from the anesthetic wears off. You may feel some tenderness for a few days after your treatment, but over-the-counter medication can usually manage this discomfort.

If you had a temporary filling or crown placed, you should avoid chewing or biting on the treated area until it is fully restored. Further, because unrestored teeth are more susceptible to fracture, you should avoid hard food until the permanent restorations have been placed. 

"Family Dental Care has been my choice for dental work for over 20 years! They're always courteous and professional, not to mention their effectiveness!"  

-Darryl A.