Root Canal Therapy – Lakeville, MA

One of our goals is to help you avoid extensive damage to your smile. We don’t want you to lose teeth if we can save them! Root canal therapy is a way for us address serious infections and restore the function of damaged teeth. Some general dentists prefer to refer their patients to specialists for root canal therapy, but Dr. Bui of Southeastern Dental Care in Lakeville, MA, knows how many of our patients appreciate the fact that we often perform this restorative treatment right here in-house. If you’ve noticed any increase in pain or have other concerns about the state of your teeth, contact our office for an appointment.

Do I Need Root Canal Therapy?

Root canal therapy is a treatment that addresses infections in the tooth’s innermost layer, known as its pulp. You might need this procedure if:

• You are experiencing severe, throbbing pain in and around a particular tooth.
• There is swelling near your face, neck, or head.
• There is a pimple-like sore near the infected tooth.
• You have difficulty chewing.
• You are experiencing increased sensitivity to hot or cold foods/beverages.

In some cases, root canal therapy is necessary even when a patient is not experiencing any obvious or painful symptoms. This can occur if the nerve inside an infected tooth has died.

The Root Canal Process

During a root canal, our team will first administer a local anesthetic to help you stay comfortable throughout the procedure.

Once you are ready, we will create an entrance at the top of your damaged tooth and begin to clear out the decayed pulp and nearby canals. We also remove the tooth’s nerve. This will eliminate the infection and pain that is causing your toothache. After the cleaning process is complete, we will fill the tooth with a material called gutta-percha to create a tight seal. While your customized dental crown is being created by lab technicians, we will place a temporary crown over your tooth to protect it from damage or reinfection. After several weeks, you will return to have your temporary crown removed and your permanent one put into place.

Alternatively, we may use our advanced in-house CEREC system to create a same-day crown for you during your root canal appointment.

The Benefits of Getting a Root Canal

Root canal therapy offers several remarkable benefits:

• The procedure can prevent extractions, which preserves your natural smile, prevents your other teeth from drifting out of place, and can help you save money in the long run. (Tooth replacement can be expensive!)
• Root canal therapy is much more comfortable than most people have been led to believe by the media.
• A successful root canal can restore the function of the treated tooth for a lifetime.
• A root canal treated tooth can be restored with a natural-looking crown that blends in seamlessly with the surrounding teeth.