Despite what you’ve seen on movies and TV, root canals aren’t that bad. The worst part of a root canal is actually the pain of the infected tooth that necessitates the procedure in the first place. Alex Gelman, DMD, provides gentle and effective root canals for his patients at NJ Dental 1. To learn more about how Dr. Gelman can alleviate your pain with a first-rate root canal, schedule your visit today by calling the Cherry Hill, New Jersey, office or booking an appointment online.
A root canal is a procedure that Dr. Gelman performs to salvage an infected tooth. The primary purpose of a root canal is to remove all of the infected pulp from within your tooth and seal it to prevent further infection.
Your pulp is the soft, inner layer of your tooth that’s made up of connective tissues, blood vessels, and nerves. When your pulp gets infected, it gets inflamed. As it swells, your nerves get pinched, which causes a great deal of pain.
A successful root canal alleviates this pain and saves your tooth from further infection, thereby preventing you from having to get an extraction.
Some of the symptoms of an infected tooth include:
If you think you have an infected tooth, don’t hesitate to schedule a visit at NJ Dental 1. Until you get professional treatment, it’s only going to get worse.
An infected tooth never gets better on its own. If left untreated, it can lead to a wide range of other health complications, such as:
By removing the infection, a root canal prevents these problems from occurring and makes your mouth healthy again.
Dr. Gelman numbs your tooth and the surrounding tissues with a local anesthetic and protects the rest of your mouth with a rubber dental dam.
He drills a tiny hole in the top of your tooth, then uses a series of files to extract the damaged pulp from within your tooth. Because this tissue is already dead, you won’t feel a thing.
Once he’s removed all of your infected pulp, he cleans the inside of your pulp chamber. He sometimes applies a topical antibiotic to ensure that all of the infection is removed from your tooth.
Next, he fills your pulp chamber with a rubbery compound called “gutta percha,” fills the hole he drilled in the top of your tooth, and administers a crown to restore and strengthen your tooth.
To learn more about how Dr. Gelman can improve your oral health with a gentle and effective root canal, schedule a visit today by calling the office or booking an appointment online.