No matter how excellent your oral hygiene is, most adults will usually need some type of restorative dentistry throughout their lifetimes. Sometimes tooth decay or damage is so severe it requires extraction — but root canal therapy offers an alternative that allows your dentist to restore the tooth back to its original health. The treatment is often associated with being extremely painful, but at Groy Family Dentistry we know that doesn’t have to be the case. In fact, root canal therapy is a highly effective treatment option that patients are always so glad they chose. Keep reading to learn more about what you can expect from root canal therapy in Leesburg, VA.
Root Canal Therapy Restores Teeth to Full Health
Although it’s a procedure often associated with pain and discomfort, patients who have decay severe enough to require root canal therapy report that the procedure was nothing compared to the pain the aching tooth caused before. Endodontic care — or root canal therapy, as we also call it — offers an excellent solution for pain from aching teeth.
What to Expect During the Root Canal Procedure
A root canal procedure may take one or two visits to your dentist. First, you’ll have an x-ray taken of your teeth to see the extent of the root canal and to determine if there has been any infection of the surrounding bone. Then a local anaesthetic will be administered to put you totally at ease.
During the root canal procedure, your dentist will remove the nerve and pulp of your teeth, then clean and seal the inside of the tooth. It may sound surprising, but a tooth’s nerve is actually not necessary for day-to-day functioning. You’ll never even miss it.
Because a tooth that requires a root canal usually has decayed significantly, the patient may need a crown or other type of restoration to further stabilize the tooth. If this is your case, your dentist will discuss your treatment with you prior to your root canal procedure.
What to Expect After the Root Canal Procedure
As with almost any dental procedure, your tooth may feel sensitive for a couple days after your root canal therapy. Usually, this pain is easily managed with over-the-counter medication like ibuprofen or naproxen.
If your root canal procedure is broken up over two visits, it’s important that you avoid chewing on the infected tooth until your root canal is complete — that is, until it’s been permanently sealed or strengthened with a crown. Continue to brush and floss your entire mouth as normal.
Request Your Appointment Today
Dr. David S. Groy and our whole team are dedicated to bringing patients the utmost in dental care. Request your appointment today. We proudly serve all of Loudoun County including: Leesburg, Ashburn, Purcellville, Lansdowne, Middleburg and beyond.