Root Canals in Las Vegas

What Is a Root Canal?

When patients neglect their dental hygiene, they may eventually need dental procedures to clear infections, repair damage or alleviate pain.

If a tooth’s pulp (also known as the pulp chamber) is damaged or infected, you’ll need endodontic therapy, which is commonly known as a root canal.

Is a Root Canal Painful?

Even though there are many benefits to a root canal, many people are afraid of the procedure and try to avoid it. These fears are usually based upon misconceptions about the treatment.

One of the most common myths about a root canal is that there is pain involved during the treatment. However, this is not the case. The dentist performing a root canal procedure will give you a local anesthetic to help minimize discomfort and to completely numb the surrounding area, making the treatment no more painful than a typical tooth filling.

If you do happen to feel discomfort during a root canal, our experienced dentists will pause and administer more anesthetic. Our goal is to ensure you’re comfortable throughout the procedure.

Who Should Get a Root Canal?

The best candidates for a root canal are individuals with teeth that have damaged or infected pulp. To determine if you could benefit from a root canal, see one of our Las Vegas dentists who can inspect the tooth and gum tissue, check for signs of infection, and take x-rays of the tooth.

How Is a Root Canal Done?

A root canal generally consists of the following steps:

1. The dentist will numb the area surrounding the tooth with a local anesthetic (typically Novocain).
2. The dentist will then open the tooth to expose the chamber of pulp.
3. If an abscess exists, the dentist may allow it to drain for a couple of days before performing the actual root canal. (The patient is prescribed antibiotics before the procedure to reduce any infection).
4. The dentist will examine the pulp and then remove if it is severely damaged or dead. If the pulp is simply infected, only cleaning and getting rid of the infection may be necessary.
5. The dentist will then clean the canals that lead to the root of the pulp in order to remove any germs and bacteria, and then possibly reshape the canals.
6. The dentist will then fill the crown of the tooth with a temporary material, such as gutta-percha or another filler.
7. At the next visit, the dentist will remove the temporary material, clean the tooth again, and fill the tooth with a permanent filling material.
8. A new crown is put over the tooth.

The Benefits of a Root Canal

The main benefit of a root canal is saving the infected tooth from having to be pulled. Teeth that are treated with a root canal can even last the rest of the patient’s life. The benefits of a root canal are:

• It prevents the loss of the tooth and makes it so the tooth does not need to be pulled.
• It eliminates pain caused by the infection, tooth damage, or sensitivity.
• It prevents the spread of infection to surrounding teeth or gums