Del Mar Family Dentistry can treat your natural tooth with root canal therapy

What is Root Canal Therapy?

When the section of the tooth that contains nerves and blood vessels becomes inflamed or infected, you need root canal therapy (RCT) to restore your natural tooth. Root canal therapy, when completed by our endodontist/root canal specialist, Dr. Erik Balinghasay, here at Del Mar Family Dentistry, is safe and effective.

Warning signs you need a root canal (endodontics)

How do you know you need to visit a root canal specialist? While only a dentist can determine your need for a root canal, there are symptoms to watch out for. The symptoms below indicate potential infection and the need for root canal therapy.

• Constant tooth pain
• Tooth sensitivity, especially when biting down or consuming hot and cold liquids
• Tooth discoloration
• Pimple-like swelling on your gums
• Chronic bad breath, despite optimal oral hygiene
• A persistent bad taste in your mouth
• Gum swelling

Although these symptoms can also be a sign of another issue, it is best you visit your dentist when you experience any of these symptoms to rule out any potential dental problems. Additionally, an infected tooth may stop causing pain at some point. This temporary relief doesn’t mean your tooth has healed, but rather, it may be a sign that the nerves inside your tooth have died, and you will no longer experience sensation. In reality, the infection is alive and could spread to nearby structures and your bloodstream in the long run if it goes untreated.

What to expect from root canal therapy?

Root canal therapy is a standard dental procedure typically completed in one to two appointments at our Solana Beach office. The first step before an RCT is an in-depth examination of your tooth. We use a 3D CBCT scanner and dental X-rays along with other diagnostic tools to determine the extent of damage and whether a root canal is the best treatment.

Before your root canal procedure, we numb your tooth using local anesthesia. This pain management procedure works well for many patients, but those with dental fears can talk to us about sedation dentistry. We aim to make you as comfortable as possible before and during the procedure.

Endodontic therapy near me

Root canal therapy relieves pain and saves your natural tooth. If you need a root canal in Solana Beach, CA, please call our office at (858) 360-3102 to schedule an appointment with our team.

Video Transcript

Root canal therapy is a very common procedure. It has a reputation of being undesirable and painful. But when done properly it is actually painless. Every tooth in your mouth is composed of a crown and a root. When a cavity or bacteria penetrates the tooth, the root and its nerves become irritated. As a result, the bacteria within the pulp cavity needs to be removed and cleaned in order to restore the tooth to its healthy state. Following the procedure, the tooth is fragile and consequently is restored with the natural crown for a lifetime of durability. Root canals have a success rate of 95% or greater. Most root canal are diagnosed by patients’ sensitivities to a specific tooth. Be sure to consult your dentist any symptoms or discomfort occur.