We set the record straight about root canal treatment to preserve your teeth

Root canal treatment has an undeserved reputation for being painful. In reality, root canal therapy promptly resolves toothaches and the pain of advanced oral infections. It is also the only way to preserve a deeply decayed tooth. As our dentists at Smile Today Dental, Drs Evelyn Kidonakis, Jinyoung Yoo, and Amir Danesh, will tell you, root canal procedures are also a little more extensive than a “deep cleaning” for the inside of your tooth or a simple filling. Yet, complaints about treatments like fillings are not as widespread or severe as misperceptions about root canal therapy. 

Root canal treatment has an undeserved reputation for being painful. In reality, root canal therapy promptly resolves toothaches and the pain of advanced oral infections. It is also the only way to preserve a deeply decayed tooth. As our dentists at Smile Today Dental, Drs Evelyn Kidonakis, Jinyoung Yoo, and Amir Danesh, will tell you, root canal procedures are also a little more extensive than a “deep cleaning” for the inside of your tooth or a simple filling. Yet, complaints about treatments like fillings are not as widespread or severe as misperceptions about root canal therapy. 

Glenview, Illinois dentists, share toothy truths

We characterize root canal therapy as a “deep cleaning” for your tooth because the idea is to remove diseased tissue at the tooth’s centre. Once the tissue has been removed, the treatment site is sterilized, and the root canals that help hold the tooth in place are shaped. Reshaping the canals is necessary to “prepare” the tooth to apply the filling material, gutta-percha. After the affected canals are filled, the tooth is sealed off. That helps to protect the treated tooth and aids in uneventful and speedy healing. The “finishing touch” is the dental crown; the crown restores and protects the damaged tooth, preventing reinfection. Crowns also provide the structure that is necessary to retain the lasting strength and health of the tooth. 

The process of “cleaning” the tooth with root canal therapy is often significant stress (and pain!) reliever for our patients. To gain access to the innermost portion of the tooth, one of our dentists precisely opens the tooth. That helps to relieve painful pressure immediately. Root canal treatment resolves and relieves pain associated with symptoms of severe oral conditions; it does not cause pain. 

Patients don’t feel any sensations from dental instruments used to access, clean, shape, fill, and seal the canals throughout the process. We use precision anaesthetic techniques to numb the tooth. We can also discuss additional options to help you relax during treatment, especially if apprehensive or nervous about an upcoming appointment. 

Generally, root canal therapy represents a conservative, non-traumatic, cost-effective, fast, and natural alternative to dental extraction and tooth replacement. As exceptional as modern tooth replacement has become, no artificial tooth is superior in form and function to a natural, healthy tooth. So, we want to keep your teeth whenever possible! Additionally, extractions followed by tooth replacement broadly mean more time-consuming and costly procedures. 

Do not delay scheduling an appointment at our office. Call Smile Today Dental at 847-440-3331. We want to get you on a healthy routine of regular exams and professional cleanings. That way, you never have to experience the pain associated with decay and other forms of damage to your teeth!