The Truth About Root Canal Treatment: A Painless, Fast, and Safe Way to Preserve Natural Teeth

Root canal therapy provides you with an alternative to tooth removal when an infection has already compromised your tooth. If Dr. Kurt Knechtel recommends a root canal in Longmont, Colorado, you will be part of many patients who undergo the procedure every year. As a matter of fact, the American Association of Endodontists states that about 15 million root canals are done every year, translating to 41,000 per day!

As you can see, root canal therapy is quite a standard procedure, and you have nothing to worry about, especially when you are under the gentle hands of our dental team at Longmont Dental. Root canals used to invoke dread many years ago before introducing modern technologies and anesthetics. Today, a root canal is no more uncomfortable than a typical cavity filling.

Why You May Need a Root Canal

Like an onion, your teeth are layered. The enamel is the outer, hard calcified tissue covering that protects your inner tooth. Beneath the enamel lies the dentin, a yellowish tissue making up the bulk of your tooth. Inside your tooth, you have the pulp chamber that contains blood vessels, nerves, and connective tissue to nourish your tooth.

With basics out of the way, let’s look at why you may need endodontic therapy. Due to decay, trauma, failed restorations, and cracked teeth, an infection may find its way into the pulp chamber. If the infected pulp chamber isn’t treated, it leads to discomfort and abscess.

When you undergo a root canal, the diseased pulp chamber is removed to restore your tooth. With the troublesome infected nerve gone, your tooth will never bother you again. Plus, now that your tooth is fully matured, it no longer needs nourishment from the pulp tissue — so your tooth can thrive normally without the need for the pulp chamber.

Root Canal Procedure

After examining your tooth using X-rays, the next step is to numb your mouth to reduce discomfort. An opening is made on top of the mouth to access the pulp chamber. Next, Dr. Knechtel uses special files to clean the pulp chamber after removing the unhealthy tissue. After thoroughly cleaning your tooth, the root canals are sealed with gutta-percha to prevent future infections.

Our dentist puts a temporary filling until your permanent crown is ready. We order a natural-looking dental crown, which takes about two weeks to prepare. Once it’s prepared, you will visit our dentist for fitment. After the root canal process, your tooth is fully restored, and now you can smile again without that bothersome toothache.

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Benefits of Root Canal

While there are many ways to replace your tooth, nothing can top your natural tooth. So, every effort should be made to maintain your natural teeth. Root canal therapy is one of the effective methods of preserving your natural teeth for as long as possible.

The other benefits of root canal include: