Endodontic surgery and root canals are valuable dental procedures that help to eliminate infections inside the tooth and root system. Endodontic surgery, also known as apical microsurgery, focuses on the tip of the tooth's root. A root canal is a non-surgical procedure that deals with infection or inflammation inside the tooth's crown and root. Both procedures can save natural teeth from extraction by treating severe tooth pain and infection.

This blog will explain the difference between these procedures and help you understand the need for each one.

Root Canals

A root canal relieves pain and eliminates infection inside the tooth. It is a routine endodontic procedure that involves removing the infected pulp and nerve tissue from the crown and root structure. The endodontist cleans and disinfects the tooth's interior, reaching into the root canals with special files.

Our practice uses the GentleWave system in most root canal procedures. This system uses powerful liquid irrigation plus broad-spectrum ultrasonic acoustic energy to clean the interior surfaces of your tooth and promote healing.

Signs You May Need a Root Canal

• Recurring tooth pain, especially when chewing
• Heat and cold sensitivity
• Tooth discoloration
• Gum swelling and pus
• Cracked or chipped tooth
• A tooth that feels loose

Endodontic Surgery

Sometimes a standard root canal procedure does not clear infections in the root tip, especially when the patient has narrower canals. Endodontic surgery focuses on the area around the root tip or apex.

In our practice, we use microsurgery techniques to ensure the safety and effectiveness of our procedures. Endodontic surgery can spot tiny tooth fractures, reach the tip of narrow roots, and repair root surface and bone damage.

Types of Endodontic Surgery

• Apicoectomy: This procedure is also called a root-end resection. The doctor removes the apex and treats the infection inside.
• Root Resorption: Occasionally, the body absorbs a tooth's root. Root resorption surgery involves repairing the resorption defect.
• Hemisection: This procedure sections the tooth and removes the cracked root and infection associated with it.

Do I Need Endodontic Surgery?

You may need this type of surgery if you have the following:

• Pain and gum swelling that recurs in a tooth that previously had a root canal
• Severe, continuous tooth pain
• Sudden tooth discoloration
• A lump on your gum that produces pus

Why Choose an Endodontist?

If you have symptoms that indicate you need a root canal, an endodontist should be your first choice. Endodontists have performed thousands of these procedures and are more likely to resolve the infection, lowering the need for future endodontic surgery.

Call Forest Lake Endodontics

Putting off a root canal or endodontic surgery can lead to health consequences. If you have a sore tooth or any of the symptoms listed above, please call Forest Lake Endodontics at 651-464-9888. We can help relieve your pain and may save your natural tooth from extraction.

Root canals can save your natural tooth from extraction due to decay or trauma. Today, getting a root canal from a qualified endodontist can be an easy, pain-free procedure. However, your tooth may be tender or sore for 2-5 days after the local anesthetic wears off. Root canal patients need to know what they can eat to avoid aggravating their teeth.

Soft foods that require little chewing are best after getting a root canal, if the area is sore. These foods will nourish you and speed up healing while keeping pressure off the affected tooth.

This blog article recommends specific foods you can safely eat after your root canal and others you should consider avoiding.

Root Canal Basics

Teeth may need root canals due to excessive decay or dental trauma. A root canal relieves dental pain by clearing infected pulp from the tooth's interior.

To perform a root canal, the endodontist uses a local anesthetic to make the procedure pain-free. Next, they open the crown of the tooth. They clean the inflamed material from the crown and root, getting into the complex canals and treating the infection if necessary.

After resolving the infection, the endodontist refills the tooth with gutta-percha and reseals it to keep out saliva and food. In most cases, you will receive a temporary crown until your dentist can make a permanent crown.

Foods to Eat After a Root Canal

Choose foods that will provide balanced nutrition while keeping your teeth comfortable. Some suggestions include the following:

• Smoothies
• Yogurt
• Milkshakes
• Juice
• Ice cream, unless you have cold sensitivity
• Smooth soups
• Scrambled eggs
• Soft fruit like peaches, applesauce, mangoes, and bananas
• Pudding
• Cottage cheese
• Cooked vegetables
• Cooked fish
• Tender meats
• Soft bread
• Cooked pasta
• Hummus

Create meals featuring proper amounts of protein, fiber, carbohydrates, and vitamins to keep your strength up and promote healing. 

Foods and Beverages to Avoid

• Hot-temperature food for the first 24 hours
• Spicy food for several days
• Alcohol while taking pain medications

Within a few days, your tooth should feel better and gradually allow you to return to your regular diet.

Use Caution With Temporary Crowns

Eat with caution if you have a temporary crown on the tooth that received a root canal. Chew hard, crunchy, or sticky foods on the other side of your mouth, or avoid them entirely until you have your permanent crown. Temporary crowns are easy to dislodge, and extra dental trips to replace them can be a nuisance.

Call Forest Lake Endodontics

Root canals can often be  pain-free, but your tooth may be tender/sore after your root canal procedure. Use these guidelines to plan your diet and speed up your recovery.

Contact our office if you have questions about healing after your root canal procedure. You can also refer to our post-operative instructions.

Call us at 651-464-9888 for assistance or to make an appointment.

Are you wondering if you need a root canal? While tooth pain can be a sign, knowing whether you need a root canal or not is usually best determined by your dental team. Experienced dental professionals can easily assess whether or not a root canal is necessary. 

If you do need root canal treatment, don’t stress. The procedure is simple and swift, and can prevent far more serious problems from occurring. Let’s take a look at what a root canal actually is.

Defining a Root Canal

Root canal treatment is designed to remove infected or inflamed tissues from inside of the tooth. This area is called the “pulp” or “root canal system”, and is located inside of the tooth and root(s). The root canal system is not visible to the naked eye, since it is inside the tooth.

An infection usually begins due to bacteria entering the pulp, whether it occurs due to decay, a damaged or cracked tooth, or an abnormality of the tooth. Most commonly, the route to infection begins with untreated decay from a cavity. Treating cavities quickly can often prevent this type of infection from beginning.

What are the Symptoms of Needing a Root Canal?

Some of the symptoms you may be experiencing include pain and swelling, discomfort when chewing, tenderness in the gums, or increased sensitivity. Pain alone may not indicate you need a root canal but if you have a toothache that pulses, is intermittent, disrupts your sleep, is triggered by hot or cold, or doesn’t respond well to over-the-counter analgesics (like ibuprofen or acetaminophen), then a root canal may be necessary. A bad odor in that area of your mouth may also indicate the need for a root canal.

How Can My Dentist Know for Sure?

Your dentist can determine if you need a root canal by using x-rays, examining your tooth, and if necessary testing for cavities or using other forms of testing on the tooth.

Regular, routine exams with x-rays can identify problems that may be emerging before pain occurs. 

Dental exams that look for discoloration to your tooth, or gum boils, gum swelling, or gum pockets can also provide diagnostic information.Your dentist may tap on the tooth that is creating pain, in order to view the response, and to evaluate pain to determine the source. 

Don’t Ignore Dental Pain

Whether you need root canal treatment or another form of treatment, don’t ignore tooth pain or discomfort. Continual, persistent, or severe dental pain can be managed effectively by a trained endodontist.

What Does Root Canal Treatment Consist Of?

Root canal treatment is a simple procedure, in which your skilled dental team will remove the pulp that is affected by decay or disease and clean the root canal system. You can think of root canals as being channels inside of the roots (think of the inside of a pipe–the pipe itself is the root, while the space inside the pipe is the pulp or “root canal system”). Then the chamber is disinfected, and filled to seal your tooth, effectively preventing the return of any infection. After the internal portion of the tooth is cleaned, the roots are filled with a material to prevent bacterial re-infection. Afterward, you may need to see your general dentist for a crown to be customized and placed over the tooth. 

Find Out More About Root Canal Therapy

If you’re ready to find out more about root canal treatment or schedule an appointment, contact us. We are here to help you with all your root canal diagnosis and treatment needs.

A root canal, more commonly referred to as root canal therapy, is a procedure used to treat an infected tooth or a tooth that is at risk of infection. If you have a toothache or a cracked tooth, you may need root canal therapy. 

What the Procedure Entails

A root canal is named for the part of the tooth that receives this treatment. The inner portion of a tooth is called the root canal. It contains the dental pulp, which is made up of soft tissue, blood vessels, and nerves. The dental pulp is an integral part of the development of the tooth, but once the tooth is full grown it is no longer needed. 

During a root canal procedure, the root canal is accessed through a hole made in the crown of the tooth. The dental pulp is completely removed and the root canal is flushed out to remove any bacteria and infected tissue. The root canal is then filled with a rubbery substance that replaces the dental pulp and is not susceptible to infection. In most cases the tooth will need to be covered with a crown following a root canal. 

Benefits of Root Canal Therapy

Root canal therapy provides many dental health benefits: 

• Save the tooth. When performed at the right time, a root canal can most likely save a tooth, allowing the natural tooth and root to remain in place. 
• Relieves pain. An infected tooth can be extremely painful. But a root canal relieves the pain by treating the infection and removing the nerves from the inside of the tooth. 
• Stops infection from spreading. An infected tooth can quickly spread to the tissues around the tooth and the nearby teeth. Treating an infected tooth with a root canal as soon as it is detected can prevent the infection from spreading. 
• Prevents reinfection. By filling the root canal of the tooth with new material that is not susceptible to infection, it prevents the tooth from being reinfected. 
• Can save an at-risk tooth. A tooth that is cracked, chipped, or severely decayed in a way that potentially exposes the dental pulp to bacteria, is at risk of infection. A root canal can be done proactively to prevent infection and save the tooth. 

Am I a Good Candidate for Root Canal Therapy?

If you have a toothache, you most likely have an infected tooth, which makes you a good candidate for root canal therapy. If you have a tooth that is cracked, chipped, or has a deep cavity, you may also benefit from a root canal to prevent a painful toothache. A brief evaluation by a dentist or endodontist can determine whether or not root canal therapy is the right solution for you. 

Is a Root Canal Painful?

The idea that a root canal is painful is a myth. Local anesthesia is used to numb the area so that no pain is felt during the procedure. We use GentleWave® technology to make root canal therapy even easier and more effective. If you are anxious about dental procedures, sedation options are available to help you feel more relaxed on the day of your appointment. Dental anxiety is something many people struggle with. It can be severe enough to prevent some people from getting the dental care they need. Please discuss your concerns with us so that we can provide the appropriate assistance. 

Forest Lake Endodontics Provides Root Canal Therapy 

Forest Lake Endodontics specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of conditions affecting the dental pulp. We provide a relaxing, comfortable environment where you can get the treatment you need to relieve your pain and restore the health of your teeth. Our services include root canal therapy, endodontic retreatment, apical surgery, and many other essential endodontic services. 

To learn more, call 651-464-9888 today to schedule or request an appointment.

A root canal is a common dental procedure, yet there are many myths about root canals that many people still believe. One of those myths is that a root canal is a long, grueling process. But with modern techniques and technology in dentistry today, a root canal is no longer something to fear or dread. 

If you are in need of this procedure, you may be wondering how long a root canal procedure takes. Here’s what you can expect in preparation for your appointment. 

What is a Root Canal?

The root canal is the inside portion of your tooth that contains the dental pulp, a soft tissue containing blood vessels and nerves that sustain the tooth. A root canal procedure, sometimes called root canal therapy, is the process of removing the dental pulp and replacing it with Bio ceramic  sealer & Gutta percha material to treat and/or help prevent reinfection. 

The root canal is accessed through a small hole in the crown of your tooth. The pulp is completely removed and the canal is flushed out to remove any bacteria or infected tissue. The root canal is then filled with bioceramic sealer & gutta percha material and the small access opening  will be placed either a small piece of cotton and cavit (return visit to your doctor) or composite which is the same material your dentist uses to fill cavities. 

How Long Does a Root Canal Take? 

On average, a root canal procedure may take anywhere from 1 to 2 hours. A simple root canal may take a little over an hour, and a complex root canal may take 1-3 hours. Applying anesthesia takes up a portion of that time, depending on the type. Most root canals can be done with just local anesthesia, but we also provide sedation options for those who feel they need relaxation assistance. 

Why is a Root Canal Necessary?

The ultimate goal of a root canal procedure is to save the tooth. A root canal may be done if a tooth is infected, meaning that bacteria has invaded the dental pulp. Unfortunately giving antibiotics alone, like with other infections in your body, will not definitively treat the necrotic pulp. Teeth need additional procedures to remove the infection. An infected tooth can be painful and may result in loss of the tooth. The infected tissue can be removed and replaced with artificial material that is bacteria resistant, new products are hydrophilic, which means they like water and the bond to the surrounding tooth structure in the canal . There are times when a root canal is chosen to be done due to no bacterial infections, for example if a tooth has a deep cavity, a crack, or has sustained an injury, a root canal can prevent bacteria from entering and infecting the pulp. 

Does a Root Canal Hurt?

Anesthesia will be used to ensure that you feel no pain during your root canal procedure. There are many different techniques to facilitate this procedure of ensuring your procedure is pain free.Sedation options such as nitrous oxide and conscious oral sedation can help you relax and feel more comfortable. It may feel as if time passes more quickly while under sedation as well, allowing you to breeze right through the procedure. 

Forest Lake Endodontics Provides Root Canal Therapy

Forest Lake Endodontics specializes in the treatment of dental pulp. If you are in need of root canal therapy, we have extensive experience performing this procedure. We use technology to ensure we reach the entire root canal to prevent the need for retreatment. Our goal is to save your tooth so that it can remain in place for the rest of your life. 

Call 651-464-9888 today to schedule or request an appointment.