Root canal therapy treats tooth infections and helps dentists save natural teeth. A root canal may sound scary, but thanks to modern dentistry, it’s often no worse than getting a tooth filling! This procedure was not always a comfortable experience. How has root canal therapy changed?
Dentists use different materials
During a root canal, dentists remove the pulp inside an infected tooth. This space needs to be sealed afterward. In the distant past, dentists used a variety of materials including rubber, cement, lead, and asbestos! Today, gutta-percha is the standard filling. It’s a plastic substance that comes from the percha tree. It’s heated and then compressed into the tooth’s canal after a root canal procedure. We seal it with special adhesive cement. These materials are very safe.
Dentists use better tools
Dentists from older TV shows and movies often use a scary selection of tools for root canals. Over the years, however, tools have become much more precise, so the procedure is more effective and less invasive! Diagnostic technology has also improved significantly, which makes it easier to find exactly where infections are.
Root canals aren’t as painful
Many people worry root canals will hurt, but the fact is dentists have used anesthesia for many years. Local anesthesia is usually tried first, but if your infected tooth is in bad shape, we may need something stronger. We also offer sedation options. Additionally, recovery is much less painful thanks to better pain management methods. Rather than causing a lot of pain, root canals relieve the pain that comes from tooth infections.
Root canals at Springs Village Dentistry in Holly Springs, NC
Tooth infections often come with painful symptoms, so if you’re ever struggling with a toothache, please visit us as soon as you can. We’ll determine if you need a root canal. Thanks to modern dentistry, root canal therapy is much safer, more precise, and more comfortable than in the past. If you have any questions or want to book an appointment with Dr. Molta or Dr. Moore, please get in touch today!