Root Canal Therapy in Fremont, CA

Root canal treatment (RCT) provides instant pain relief and a perfect therapy to retain the natural teeth. It can preserve your tooth from decay and disease. A root canal helps to conserve the tooth so that you won't need a tooth extraction. While you may be stressed about getting a root canal, you will be relieved to hear that this treatment is now painless and more convenient.

What Causes Root Canal Infection?

Bacteria cause a root canal infection by forming tartar deposits. Tartar usually develops near the gum line, at the intersection of the teeth, or on the occlusal grooves. They release dangerous toxins that erode the enamel and cause cavities. When cavities are not treated promptly, they can spread into the root canal cavity and cause an infection. Other reasons include injury to the teeth that lead to chipped, broken, or cracked teeth. Bacterial germs can enter the root canal through these openings and infect the pulp.

What Are the Indications of Root Canal Infection?

• Bleeding and pus discharge from the gums near the infected tooth
• Severe discomfort or pain while chewing or biting food
• Numb feeling in the gums near the infected tooth
• Discoloration of the infected tooth
• Loosening of the tooth from the jawbone
• Bone deterioration

How Is Root Canal Infection Treated?

Root canal therapy is an ideal and effective technique to treat an infected tooth and it involves completely removing the tooth's diseased pulp. When you visit our dental practice, we will comprehensively diagnose your oral condition and determine your need for root canal therapy. If the tooth can be treated using fillings and medication, we will consider them. But, if the infection is severe, we will have to perform a root canal procedure to save it from being extracted.

Local anesthesia will be given to keep pain and discomfort negligible. We will make a small hole in the tooth to gain access and remove the infected pulp using thin dental files of different sizes. The cavity walls will then be cleaned carefully and shaped appropriately. A jet of water will be sprayed to remove the decay and other debris, and a small amount of medicated material will be placed to fill the space.

As the dental pulp is cleaned out from the tooth, it would gradually weaken over time. If not restored, it could crack or break when you bite or chew on hard food or objects. Hence, we recommend placing a dental restoration such as a crown over it to hold it intact and prevent any future damage.

If you are interested in learning more about our root canal treatments, call Louie Family Dentistry in Fremont, CA 94538 at (510) 656-7778 and schedule an appointment.