Save a tooth, and save your smile. At Dr. Clark Wright's Venice, FL, dental practice, our professional team offers root canal therapy which heals infection, shores up weak teeth and avoids the problems associated with extraction. Learn more about how a root canal could help you.
A root canal is not painful
Also called endodontic therapy, a root canal treatment comfortably removes the soft pulp inside a tooth and the narrow chambers inside each root.
During endodontic therapy, Dr. Wright removes this pulp, disinfects each canal and adds a sealant, called gutta-percha. A temporary restoration covers the tooth as it heals, and on your return to our Venice, FL, office, a dental crown finishes your root canal procedure.
And, it's true: a root canal is not painful. Dr. Wright uses a local anesthetic to numb the tooth before he starts the treatment.
Reasons why you would need one
Many people may need a root canal procedure because of oral trauma. They chipped or cracked a tooth in a fall or sporting event. Others need a root canal because of tooth decay, dental abscess (infection) or intense sensitivity to hot or cold foods and beverages or to the pressures of biting and chewing.
Finally, some teeth are so damaged patients contemplate extraction. However, a simple exam and X-ray will tell Dr. Wright if your tooth would respond well to endodontic therapy.
Saving a tooth is far superior to extracting it. Dear Doctor reports that dental extraction causes rapid bone and gum resorption. Also, extraction:
- Weakens the position and durability of remaining teeth
- Leaves a smile gap
- Adversely impacts how you bite, chew and speak
- Costs you more and more money for tooth replacements and other restorative procedures
Learn more about root canal therapy
The American Association of Endodontists says that today's root canals are very advanced and successful. Teeth that just recently would have been lost can now be saved through modern root canal techniques.
If you're in pain or concerned in any way about the health, function and appearance of a particular tooth, contact Dr. Clark Wright at his Venice, FL, office. He'll take care of it. You may need a root canal. Phone us at (941) 493-5923.