Are you ready to feel better and have a healthy tooth again? At Design A Smile, our highly-qualified dentists use root canal therapy to revive ailing teeth and deter unnecessary extraction. Dr. Richard Romay or Dr. Martha Barrera perform this valuable service in their Miami, FL, dental office.
What is a root canal?
A root canal is one of up to four narrow passageways located in the roots which anchor your tooth. The soft pulp inside these roots support and nourishes the tooth and encourages its development early in life.
In your adult years, the tooth pulp becomes less essential, and in fact, if it becomes inflamed due to decay, infection or trauma, your doctor can remove it. This is the essence of root canal therapy (endodontics).
Reasons for root canal therapy
In their Miami office, Dr. Romay and Dr. Barrera use endodontic treatments when a tooth's structural integrity or overall health is compromised. In fact, the patient's symptoms may be so severe as to consider dental extraction.
However, your dentists prefer to spare a natural tooth if possible so you look your best, keep your youthful facial structure and eat and digest your food properly. While repeated fillings, failing crowns, throbbing toothache pain, dental sensitivity, and other symptoms may tempt you to just get rid of a tooth, your better option is keeping it, says the American Association of Endodontists. Root canal therapy allows you to do just that.
The procedure
This two-visit restorative procedure includes:
- Exam, X-rays and oral impressions
- Local anesthetic to make you completely comfortable
- Removal of the damaged enamel and any fillings, crowns or veneers
- Entrance to each root canal and removal of its pulp
- Revision of canal walls and placing of antiseptic medication
- Application of a rubbery sealant called gutta-percha
- Placement of a temporary crown
After your initial appointment, you'll go home to heal for a week to 10 days. You should eat a softer diet at that time and use over the counter analgesics as needed for a day or two. When you return to Design A Smile, your dentist will remove the temporary restoration and place a customized porcelain crown over the tooth.
To enjoy your restored tooth for many years, brush and floss faithfully, and eat a nutritious diet. Avoid teeth clenching and sticky or hard foods that place undue stresses on all your teeth. See your dentist twice a year for a cleaning and check-up.
Find out more
Root canal therapy is a wonderful restorative option. Highly successful and tooth-sparing, endodontics help patients just like you have complete and healthy smiles for years.
For more information, or if you're worried about a tooth, please contact Design A Smile in Miami to see Dr. Richard Romay or Dr. Martha Barrera. We have two convenient locations. On 40th Street, phone (305) 667-8887, or for 88th Street, call us at (305) 408-3388.