Root Canal Therapy in Pflugerville

When facing dental issues, it’s great to know that solutions like root canal therapy in Pflugerville are within your reach. If you’ve been told that a tooth requires a root canal procedure, there’s no reason to stress. Nowadays, undergoing a root canal is as routine and painless as getting a dental filling. In fact, this procedure is often the most effective way to alleviate toothache pain, salvage a compromised tooth, and ensure the longevity of your natural smile.

At the office of Gene Hassell, DDS, we use the latest technology to provide precise and gentle care to help patients maintain healthy, beautiful smiles. Patient care and comfort are our top priorities, and you can rest assured your oral health is in the best of hands.

With a demonstrated success rate of well over 90%, root canal procedures, including those for root canal therapy in Pflugerville, stand as the most effective way of saving and retaining a tooth that has been severely compromised by dental decay or injury. Having a healthy natural dentition not only supports your oral health but also bolsters your overall well-being. For this reason, root canal therapy, as an alternative to extracting the affected tooth, is a routine and widely recommended procedure. To put it into perspective, across the United States alone, root canal procedures are performed almost 41,000 times daily and nearly 15 million times annually.

Your teeth are much more than just the hard outer biting surfaces and the roots. Inside each one is a central chamber containing connective tissue, a nerve supply, and blood vessels. Collectively, these core tissues, known as the dental pulp, help your tooth to grow and mature before it emerges into the mouth. Once your tooth is in place, the dental pulp provides nourishment, keeps the tooth vital, and alerts you of problems.

Having sensitivity to various stimuli like biting down and eating or drinking hot or cold items is a warning from the nerves inside your tooth that dental decay is present, dental trauma has occurred, or infection is brewing. The degree of pain that you experience depends on the extent of the damage and nerve involvement.

When a tooth needs a root canal, it is because the dental pulp has become irreversibly damaged or has died. If you’re in Pflugerville and you face such a situation, seeking root canal therapy in Pflugerville is an effective solution. Thankfully, if enough intact tooth structure remains, and there’s good bone support around the compromised tooth, you do not need to have the tooth extracted. A fully developed tooth does not require the dental pulp to remain functional. You can preserve your natural tooth by having your dentist perform a root canal procedure.

Although not every instance of dental discomfort indicates the need for root canal therapy, some of the warning signs that you might require this procedure include the following:

• Unresolved, persistent pain: Pain is your body’s way of signaling that something is amiss. Although, there are many explanations for oral pain, one of the most common reasons is a toothache caused by decay or damage that has affected the tooth’s inner vital tissues. Patients in need of root canal therapy often report dental pain that wakes them up at night.
• Temperature sensitivity: The joy of sipping hot beverages or biting into cold desserts shouldn’t be overshadowed by dental pain. If pain makes you wince when enjoying these pleasures, it’s a clear sign to consult with a specialist. Such extreme sensitivity to hot or cold items might point towards the need for root canal therapy in Pflugerville, as it can indicate an inflamed, irritated, or non-vital dental pulp.
• Discomfort with pressure or the slightest touch: If it hurts when you bite and chew or when you just touch the tooth, it may indicate pulpal involvement, irreversible damage to the inner vital tissues of the tooth, or the presence of an infection.
• Darkened, discolored tooth: A discolored tooth is often a message that the inner vital tissues, including the tooth’s nerve and blood supply, have been compromised. Teeth that have sustained an injury may demonstrate discoloration as the internal tissues have devitalized.
• Chipped, cracked, or fractured tooth: Accidents happen, and sometimes a simple injury that chips or cracks a tooth might lead to more severe internal trauma. In such cases, especially when a significant part of the tooth structure is at stake, seeking root canal therapy in Pflugerville could be the prudent step to save the tooth.
• Swelling around the tooth and gums: Swelling of the gums around a tooth may indicate that an infection has developed. While the swelling can worsen and cause more harmful consequences, sometimes a dental abscess starts to ooze pus and drain. In either case, prompt care is required.
• Tooth mobility: The pathology associated with a tooth need of root canal therapy can damage the bone supporting the tooth and produce some mobility. Root canal therapy can often resolve this issue as tissue healing occurs.

While some of the above signs and symptoms can indicate other dental problems, they all require prompt evaluation and care. In some cases, a tooth in need of root canal therapy has not yet demonstrated overt symptoms. It may first get diagnosed and brought to your attention following a comprehensive, routine exam. Typically, these teeth show radiographic evidence of periapical pathology (root end pathology) or other types of structural damage.

Understanding the value of root canal therapy in Pflugerville is crucial, especially when such treatment is suggested. Procrastinating on the recommended procedure can amplify the risks, leading to more pervasive and acute symptoms. Beyond just oral health concerns, a lingering dental infection can have far-reaching effects, potentially jeopardizing your broader health and well-being.

Modern dentistry has evolved significantly, making procedures that once seemed daunting a lot more manageable. If you’re in need of root canal therapy in Pflugerville, you’ll be pleased to know that with today’s dental instruments and cutting-edge techniques, undergoing a non-surgical root canal procedure can feel as straightforward and comfortable as receiving a routine dental filling.

While some root canals can be completed in one visit, others may involve 2 or 3 appointments. How long it takes depends on factors such as the number of canals in a tooth, its anatomy, and whether an active infection is present.

During a root canal procedure, our dentist will remove the diseased dental pulp, clean the internal portion of your tooth, and then fill all the prepared canals with a biocompatible filling material. Root canal therapy is typically performed under local anesthesia, but additional options in dental sedation are available to reduce any anxiety associated with dental procedures.