You asked, Little Elm Dentist answered, “What is root canal therapy?”

In your search for information about the root canal therapy procedure, your Little Elm, TX dentist, Dr. Vidya Suri, will first talk about what this treatment is not. There are many lingering myths that surround this common, proven, and highly effective restorative treatment, available at Frisco Elm Dental. So, let us clear up a few things:

• Root canal treatment is not painful. This therapy is designed to relieve pain associated with oral conditions, such as deep infections at the center of a tooth. Plus, Dr. Suri precisely numbs the treatment site. You will not feel anything as the tooth is treated, and lingering numbness is also minimized.
• Root canal treatment is not an ultra-long and costly ordeal. In fact, many of Dr. Suri’s patients describe the process of getting a root canal as little more involved than other types of tooth repair, such as cavity treatment with a filling. In addition, this therapy is a much more affordable alternative to tooth replacement following an extraction.
• Root canal treatment is not dangerous. Instead, it is the condition that requires root canal therapy that represents the danger. Deep infections can spread to other parts of the body or systemwide. Systemic infections are a medical emergency, which requires immediate treatment. Treating the infection with root canal therapy removes the threat.
• Root canal treatment is not an elective or secondary choice in most cases. In some circles, extractions are advocated as the best treatment in the event of severe decay or extensive damage to the tooth, starting from scratch with a tooth made in a dental lab. At Little Elm Dental, extractions are always the treatment of last resort. Nothing made in a lab can create the exact look or function of a natural tooth, and how that tooth feels in your mouth. And root canal therapy may be the only way to save that natural tooth.

For many patients, root canal treatment preserves the natural tooth. But no treatment has a 100 percent success rate. Should we be unable to save your tooth, Dr. Suri will then discuss the extraction process, and ways to replace the tooth. Since root canal treatment removes infected tissue, nerves, and vessels, patients immediately express relief from often severe pain and pressure associated with deep decay. With the nerves gone, you do not feel anything! As the root canal itself is sterilized and sealed off, and the tooth is often restored with a permanent dental crown, the procedure helps you get back the natural, attractive appearance of a tooth marred by damage, and provides lasting functionality.

The conditions that require root canal treatment are highly preventable. But know that Frisco Elm Dental has the skill and tools to perform root canal therapy should you need it. Call (214) 705-7100 to schedule your appointment with Dr. Suri at the Little Elm Dental office.

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