Root Canals
What are Root Canals?
Every one of your teeth has a small inner pulp that houses the blood supply and nerves vital to keeping the tooth healthy and strong. When this pulp becomes infected or exposed, it’ll need to be removed via a procedure known as a root canal. Root canals are one of the most common procedure performed in the dental field. The procedure is done quickly and easily in our office, and we work hard to ensure that it’s as comfortable as possible.
Why are Root Canals needed?
Most commonly, a root canal is needed because a tooth has become severely decayed. If it’s been awhile since your last appointment or if you had a cavity that you ignored, the decay may eventually get to the point of infiltrating the entire tooth. Likewise, some patients deal with aggressive decay as well as damaged and decayed restorations that can affect the pulp. A tooth that’s cracked or fractured may expose the pulp and require the need for it to be removed.
Who is a candidate for Root Canals?
Dr. Letran will perform an exam to determine if a root canal is necessary. Oftentimes, an exam and an x-ray are all that is needed to help identify a problem and create the proper treatment plan. A root canal should be done as soon as possible once it’s found that you need one. The procedure can be done on any tooth within the mouth that’s in need of treatment.
What happens during the Root Canal procedure?
We begin by administering a local anesthetic to numb the area for your comfort. A rubber dental dam will help to keep the tooth isolated and free of bacteria from your saliva. Dr. Letran then removes all of the decay from the tooth as well as the inside pulp. The canals of the roots are thoroughly scraped clean to remove any remaining pulp. The canals are then filled with a specialized medicated material and the tooth filled with composite resin. The rubber dental dam is removed and you’ll be ready to go home.
If you’d like to call us for more information regarding root canals, we welcome you to contact our office so that our staff members can further assist you. We’ve been serving those living in and near Mountain View and El Monte for the past 15 years. We have the ability to speak fluently with our Spanish-speaking bilingual patients.