703.478.9574Root Canal Dentist
Reston and Arlington, VA
Root canals are also called endodontic therapy; endodontics is the branch of dentistry that deals with the insides of teeth.
What’s in a tooth?
The pulp chamber fills the upper, more rounded part. In the more elongated part are the tooth’s nerve, blood vessels, lymph vessels, and some connective tissue.
The vessels and nerve enter the tooth from its lower tip and travel in what we call the root canal, up to the pulp chamber.
The root is seated in the jawbone, holding the tooth firmly in place.
Although the nerve is very sensitive when it’s touched directly, it’s not essential to the tooth. It does make the tooth sensitive to heat and cold, but the tooth doesn’t urgently need that ability.
Why a root canal treatment is needed
When a tooth decays severely, the bacteria multiply and spread the decay all the way in to the nerve and blood vessels inside the root canal. Once the bacteria are established inside this comfortable area, it’s almost impossible for the body to get them out. Why? Because the blood vessels there are already breaking down, so they can’t bring enough white cells to the area to fight the infection. So the infection continues to increase, forming an abscess, a very painful swelling in the gum tissue.
The procedure
Although root canals are notorious for being unpleasant procedures, this folk wisdom is inaccurate. The pain is beforehand, when the infection is building and the gums swelling with the inflammation.
By the time a root canal is performed, the nerve has often died and you’ll feel nothing in that tooth, though the gums will be sore.
- Dr. Katz will numb the area and place what’s called a “rubber dam” around the tooth. This is to block saliva and keep the bacteria that are in saliva from getting into the tooth. The job here is to get bacteria out of the tooth.
- If you’re very anxious, he’ll give you a sedative to relax you.
- He’ll then remove the decay and deteriorating tissue from inside the root canal, and the bacteria along with it.
- When the area is fully cleared of debris and bacteria, Dr. Katz will fill it with a rubber compound, and seal it with a warm dental paste that molds itself to the shape of your tooth’s interior.
The time needed for a root canal varies depending on which tooth is being treated. Some teeth have 2 or 3 root canals and they all need to be cleaned and filled. Root canal dentist Dr. Katz will let you know whether two visits will be needed, or just one.
If there are two visits, you’ll have a temporary filling in the interim, and you should be careful not to use that tooth much. The root canal procedure saves the tooth’s root and the surrounding gum tissue, so that you won’t need a bridge or denture.
Schedule your Complimentary Cosmetic Consultation for root canal treatment in Herndon with Dr. Katz.
