When a tooth is threatened by severe decay, periodontal disease, or damage from an injury, a skilled dentist or endodontist must make a judgment call concerning the course of treatment. If the pulp of the tooth is infected or inflamed, a root canal is typically the only way to save the tooth.
During a root canal procedure (or endodontic treatment), the soft tissue in the root of the tooth is removed. This tissue contains veins, arteries and lymph vessels. Once the roots are taken out and widened, they are filled with a special rubber material.
The root canal is only the primary step in the complete tooth restoration. After the root canal, without a crown, the tooth will become dry and brittle. The last processes are the core build-up and crown.
At Your Time Dental Urgent Care, we construct strong, natural-looking crowns that blend perfectly with the surrounding teeth. With proper oral hygiene and biannual visits to your dentist, a tooth with a filled root can often function issue—free for the rest of a patient’s life.
I am Dr. Richard Kernagis, DMD, of Your Time Dental Urgent Care. I have been practicing dentistry since 2001. During that time I have seen hundreds of teeth saved by this effective dental procedure. Root canal therapy has a very high success rate.
Because teeth with infected pulp tissue often do not create symptoms, it is critical to have regular dental examinations. I can determine which (if any) teeth have infected roots. If the infection in the soft pulp tissue is left untreated, it can move up to a point where the tooth cannot be saved.
Contact Your Time Dental Urgent Care:
Locations: (Tap to open in Google Maps):
South Shore – Gibsonton
13145 Kings Lake Drive Ste 105B Gibsonton, FL 33534 Call: 813-519-0128
FishHawk – Lithia
5486 Lithia Pinecrest Rd, Ste B Lithia, FL 33547 Call: 813-519-0128
